Cannes Film Festival (Cinéfondation Selection) 2019 – Bamboe
After the arrival of a mysterious man, the friendship between eight young girls, spending their summer days on a piece of land overgrown by bamboo, is tested.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Flo Van Deuren
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made this film as a graduation project for the film school I was in, but above that, I made it as an ode to my puberty.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
To feel thirteen again. To never forget what that was like and to now see the beauty of how cruel it sometimes was.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
First of all, like in any other coming of age film, there's puberty. We've all been there. Second of all, there's the element of the stranger, someone who seems to be coming from another world. If the own world is too narrow, this someone evokes fear of the unknown and therefore maybe even hate, but in the case of a world that can still open up, like those of kids and teenagers, the stranger evokes curiosity, fantasy, prospect. Offers it.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I wrote a script but never gave it to my actresses. Instead, I wrote them eight custom made short stories. Each actress had one in the point of view of their character. This way, they could improvise within the boundaries of the beginning and the ending of a scene, the 'action' and the 'cut', but without the boundaries of a fixed dialogue. This approach gave me the opportunity to really work with the girls' real-life personalities. They became co-writers, now that I think of it.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
"I didn't know girls could be so cruel." (Only men.)
"It took me back to my teenage days." (Only women.)
"Isn't it risky to cast a black man for the role of 'stranger?'" (Only white people.)
"I didn't get it." (Some people.)
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The question of why I choose to cast a Brazilian actor to play the stranger... I think this one says more about the person asking this question. Becoming uncomfortable because one "stranger" is opposed to a group is exactly what's not happening to the characters. They are very open to what they don't know yet, a gift all kids have, and often lose by growing up.
As for the "I didn't get it"... I like this. I think it's good not to have a unanimous audience. It sparks the conversation.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
To connect with other filmmakers, to get inspired.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
"Is the mysterious man real?"
Would you like to add anything else?
A big thanks to cast and crew. And a shout out to Kato De Boeck, a colleague director, without whose support there wouldn't have been any Bamboe.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm developing a webseries with Kato De Boeck, mentioned above. We've already written down our first brainstorm on a restaurant napkin. That, and a new short film, also still in napkin phase.
Interview: May 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Bamboe
After the arrival of a mysterious man, the friendship between eight young girls, spending their summer days on a piece of land overgrown by bamboo, is tested.
Length: 19:19
Director: Flo Van Deuren
Producer: Flo Van Deuren
Writer: Flo Van Deuren
About the writer, director and producer:
FLO VAN DEUREN (1994) is a Belgian writer/director, graduated at the RITCS School of Arts in September 2018 with her short film Bamboe. For this project, she united her passion for dance and storytelling. Since 2017 she has also been working as a foley artist.
Key cast: Lotte Peeters (Tamara), Fleur Van Bergen (Johanna), Roos Zijlstra (Mandy), Anne Coopman (Gaby), Pauline Bas (Verena), Anne-Sophie Marx (Skrolan), Yenthe Van Houtven (Esther), Lauren Van Houtven (Anouk), Leonardo De Souza (Louis), Frits Deruyter (Bennie)
Looking for: film festival directors, buyers, distributors, journalists
Facebook: Bamboe
Instagram: @bamboeshortfilm
Hashtags used: #bamboeshortfilm #bambies
Other: IMDb
Funders: Ulele
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Festival De Cannes/France - May 22nd; Shortshorts Film Festival & Asia/Japan - June 8th