Star of the colourful Dreamlife of Angels, Natacha was one of the big names of the festival, doing 15 interviews a day and fielding questions from the audience after the screening of her film. She was awarded joint best actress at Cannes '98 with her co-star Elodie Bouchez, for her role as the needy, fragile Marie. The film is now showing at Palace cinemas and is the best French film to come our way since When the Cat's Away. Our intepreter turned up only after the interview was finished, so what you're about to get is English, the Belgian-French way.

toto: The director said he was very attracted to your way of moving in the auditions, which opened up his perspective of the character Marie. What did you do in the screentest; what sort of details did you put into the character of Marie that he had not noticed before?
natacha: Well, I have no idea in fact , but when I read the script i fell completely in love with it; the story with the two characters, and specifically with the character of Marie. I knew it could give something very human and very certain for the director, and also very complex.

toto: How many other actresses were invited to screentest?
natacha: He saw alot, because at the beginning he wanted someone who has dark eyes and brown or black hair, (and she was completely the opposite). he wanted to see somebody with the violence inside, but also light and joy. all he could find were people who were full of joy but no violence, or could not express the violence he needed. or he could only find someone with the violence he needed, but not the light and joy.

toto: How did you express the violence?
natacha: for me it was easy because i had the text, the text was so well written for me it was good support, and for me Alex was with us all the time, he never let you down.

toto: You said in the production notes that he was always pressing you to put more of yourself in, to go further. What exactly did he ask of you?
natacha: it's his way of working...we did what we wanted in the first shots, and after he wanted more - for us to try something different, because he's a perfectionist. he wanted something human and let us make some accidents [improvise], such as the scene with the knife, that wasn't in the script, but i threw the knife and stormed away, tiny stuff like that.

toto: How did you get into your role each day, because your character is so intense, so extreme. what sort of thoughts did you have to go through?
natacha: mm, we spoke alot with eric, and i tried to put everything i could, into marie. things around me and things inside me, i made them bigger. but of course, with the other actors, with eric and everything, it was...

toto: Was it emotionally draining to have to play such an extreme character?
natacha: no. in fact it was great to do that, i enjoyed it, because to have a character who has so many things to say - its exciting to do that, so it was very intense during the day, and at night we shared a flat, it was very calm. We chatted a bit..

toto: The flat in the movie.. was that especially painted/decorated for the movie? It was very strongly colour coded. Did those colours have any significance to the characters or the story?
natacha: yes and no. it was someone's job to decorate it, but I don't know what they were trying to do.

toto: Did you do much research into the character of Marie?
natacha: yes and no. because i knew i will be the part, one month before the (???). so i had discussions with eric, and tried to remember things from people i knew that would add to marie. Certain film and music.

toto: Which films and music gave you insight? what was it about that music, that you thought was appropriate for marie?
natacha: There wasn't one particular film. I think music influenced me more than film. i listened to two CDs only, over and over for two months. Nick Cave and a French artist (called ???). This wasn't deliberate, it was unconscious inspiration, afterwards i realised I always listened to that but I don't know why it was like that.

toto: What sort of exercises did you have to do at auditions and rehearsals?
natacha: We had not alot- the script we read it, we talked about it, we'd go through the scene but not to do it really.

toto: Were there any changes made through the discussions or the shooting?
natacha: It's not changing, it's, uh, i dont' know the word, because i took the script, the character of Marie, i was very involved in it.

toto:You were happy with the whole script? you didnt think there were any scenes that needed to be changed?
natacha: no, the only scenes i questioned were the ones with nudity. i hate nudity for nudity's sake. i discussed it with eric and he explained why he thought it was important for marie to be naked, and i completely agreed, and i loved those parts, because they really expressed something which was important for the play.

toto: Did you think that was Marie's vulnerability?
natacha: no it's not her vulnerability. the love scene with Chris, i think it expressed really their relationship; that was one part where she was really vulnerable, when she was sitting next to him, when he was asleep. We talked about things if i didnt understand some parts.. he explained it to me, or if i wanted to say something about the script or the character, i told him.

toto: Was this your first time doing nude scenes?
natacha: no, from one thing i did for TV, i walked out a shower.. no, we didn't see me there, i was sitting on a bed and you could see my back.

toto: Are you someone who is nervous or self conscious about nudity?
natacha: Like i said, if its nudity for nudity's sake, i dont want to do it and i think its stupid. But if you want to express something it's great.

toto: You never feel uncomfortable on the set?
natacha: For the moment it didnt happen, i felt bad.

toto: When you see yourself on screen, what do you think?
natacha: i don't know.

toto: You dont feel self-conscious?
natacha: no.. when i saw the film for the first time, i thought, god, i didn't realize i did that. i try to see the whole view [when watching the film]. the director's view, the material of the script... because [being in the film,] you see the script, you play the parts, and now you try to see it from his view; what material he had with us. i was interested with what he did with all that.

toto: How many times have you seen the film now?
natacha: Three times.

toto:How long ago was it made?
natacha:We finished shooting two years ago, and since then i have seen it three times - once in Paris with the crew, once in Cannes, and once in NY.

toto: When you watch films now, do you think from the director's point of view, not the actor's point of view? Do you analyse the acting, or fall into the story?
natacha: I fall completely into the story.

toto: You dont sit there thinking, 'i would have done it another way..'?
natacha: no i cannot do that, i am like children, i fall into the film, i fall completely in to the story.

toto: One of the australian reviewers said that this film is so french, that the americans or the british could not have made it in the same way? Do you think its particularly french? what parts did you think are very french about it?
natacha: what's very french about the film is that the characters in the film are like everybody else, not like heroes. They're like you and me and everybody else, but the story makes them become heroes. I think Marie is a tragic chraracter, like in the old plays.

toto: How did you put that sort of tragedy into the character?
natacha: i didn't realise it until people told me afterwards, that Marie was like that. one person told me that Marie is heroic because she follows her ways and never let her convictions down, she fights for herself and never puts down her ideals.

toto: I got the impression that Marie hates herself. But these people think that she has a very strong character. When you were playing her part, how did you view her character? Did you think that she was self destructive?
natacha: mmm, it is two things. i don't think she was self-destructive. i think she had a very sad background and she really wanted to get over that, but with her ...weapons?, i don't know a good expression for that in english ["..crop madame"?]. she tries get over that with what she has but she knew only loneliness and violence and i thought that [because of that], she is tragic. she cannot get over that, she is trapped. but i think she really wants to get over things, and do some things good for herself, for her life.

toto: There are some scenes where you have to be really violent. When you are acting these scenes, are you detached from the action or are you fully into the character?
natacha: i completely dive in it, but because i know it's not for real, so i can dive even more deeply.

toto: Do you feel very agressive during these scenes?
natacha: Yes, i do feel agressive, because if you're not [putting yourself] into the film, people will know.. they can see that you're not in things.

toto: Does it scare you sometimes, that you think like that?
natacha: no, thats what i like about cinema. it allows you to do all these things you wouldnt do in life. when i read the script, i loved it so much, i wanted to do it and do it completely.

toto: Can you slip into Marie like that, when they say action! ?
natacha: now, i cannot do it. it's impossible. During shooting it was easy, but in another way, i was afraid to lose Marie, to keep her consistent from one scene to another.

toto: How long was the shooting?
natacha: two months.

toto: I think the scene on the beach was very important for the character, to show her happiness.
natacha: yes, because i think she has that.

toto: Do you think that was the only time that she was not insecure?
natacha: When she comes back from the sea, when she eats pancakes with Isa, a moment with Charlie, there are tiny moments like that when she is happy ... simple. The breakfast in the boat also

toto: Which scenes did you prefer playing? Which were your favourite scenes?
natacha: I don't really have a favourite. But going back to what you said before, about her being self-destructive. I dont think she's self descructive, but in her past she didn't receive enough love, so she had difficulties in liking herself.

toto: She's damaged rather than self destructive?
natacha: yeah.

toto: The sound in this movie is very intimate. Very loud. Were you very close to the mike? did you wear a microphone?
natacha: both, according to the scene.

toto:Was it something that was very deliberate, for the camera to be so close to the actors?
natacha: the camera, at the beginning, the camera was handheld and close to the actors, but as the film goes on, it drops away and becomes more fixed, on a tripod. The characters become further and further apart on the screen. it is intended, to at the beginning, be with the person and after that present a larger point of view, because in the beginning, Isa is the person to move, and she has her own way of being, and after that, the other characters.

toto: Does it also reflect marie and isa moving apart?
natacha: No, i dont think that is so.

toto: Why is the film set in Lille?
natacha: it's set in Lille because eric wanted something very special, we wanted at the same time, a town with the old bourgeois family, houses and workers and middle class, and in Lille you have that.

toto: What part of Lille directly came into the story?
natacha: the old town, and near Lille, a place where there is alot of factories, clothes factoreis but i don't remember the name of the place.

toto: How long did you live there? Was it difficult?
natacha: Just the two months, of shooting. it was nice, because both of us were very involved in our characters and in the project, and we shared that and we knew it was only for two months. And you know it was only for a period, so it was very easy

toto: Does Elodie have any annoying personal habits we should know about?
natacha: no... except she has a little dog and for me sometimes it was so noisy and i wanted that the dog was not there. but that's the only thing, so, somedays she was so cute and the dog was so happy, so we shared that, but sometimes i am ...oh i hate that dog.

toto: The characters smoke almost all the way through the film. Do you get to a point where you think "I dont want to smoke anymore"?
natacha: It was different because before that time i didn't smoke at all, and i just smoke for marie, and after that i stopped smoking, i didn't smoke for awhile, but now i began to smoke again, for the last four months!

toto: Perhaps its the pressure of going from country to country. You said in the notes that you are very different from Elodie, yet you got on well together. How are you different?
natacha: Elodie is more out-going than me. For me, when i don't know the person, i am distant, reserved. She likes to go out alot at night, and she is always moving. I like to spend time with close friends, listen to music. She likes music too.

toto: So you're a more private person? Are you ever shy? Reserved?
natacha: I don't know what private means really, when i don't really know the people, yes, but when i know the people i laugh alot, i like to do funny things. I think I am more reserved, not shy. Shy is more afraid, i am not afraid. it takes me time to really express myself, make jokes, things like that.. i think i'm more reserved.

toto: In the film your hair is very crazy. How did they decide on the hair and the clothes? did you use your own clothes or did they have a wardrobe?
natacha: We discussed it with Eric, and it was someone's job to find the clothes and to do my hair. the green sweater is an old one, it's really old, from the girl who gave us our clothes. the other, we bought in Paris three months ago.

toto: How is being belgian different when you're working in france? is there a different in accent, from the belgian-french to french-french?
natacha: it depends. of course every place has it own accent, its own expression. i didn't have my own strong accent when i came but now i think i have a parisian accent.

toto: Do you feel you are viewing France from the outside?
natacha: when i arrived in paris, yes. i think the French are very latin and in Belgium, they are more Anglo-saxon.

toto: Did you see many of the films that were showing at this film festival in australia?
natacha: mmm..i have seen ah...no, not alot, because this year i worked alot.

toto: How many films have you been working on since the shooting finished? What are they called?
natacha: Two films. "de Francoise de France", which has to do with a guy called.., it's the same name but not the same spelling, it's the G.. and a Belgium film called " la promise", the story of two teenagers who decide to murder someone and runaway.

toto: Have you grown a lot as an actor since the last two years, playing all these different roles?
natacha: mmm.. i think every experience grows you, i guess.

toto: Are you used to being treated like a star now?
natacha: i don't know what that means. i think that as a young actress, i want to try very different things, and very different universes. i would like to do different types of films. but for the rest, i don't know. i live in the present moment, and i cannot make plans for the future.

toto: Do you prefer comedy or drama?
natacha: i like both, but i have done two dramas, so i would love to do a comedy.

toto: Which other actors influenced you in your acting and made you decide "i want to be an actor"? Who do you admire?
natacha: mmm, It's not just one person who made me decide that.. i never one day just decide that i'm going to be an actor. but from my chidlhood, i was fascinated by cinema, and my god i love cinema so much, but for me cinema seemed so far away, i was not from paris, i have no family in cinema, so for me it was so hard. When i was small i wanted to do theatre, because it seemed to me more close, in Belgium, but i have not really met people in theatre, but a friend of mine gave me a tiny part in a short film; a non speaking part, and they took me in their ... they took me from nowhere...

toto: It's almost by accident that you find yourself in film? When you first arrived in Paris, did you have a job?
natacha: it's not by acccident, i met somebody who wanted me in his film, so for me that meeting changed my life. but i didn't dare to come to paris, because i heard alot of people who come to Paris and did a lot of stuff had nothing happened. I didn't want to come to paris i wanted to stay in Belgium and do the stuff there, but i came to Paris, straight into cinema and when someone wanted me to be in their film, i laughed and shouted, no way that's incredible!

toto: Are you still in Paris? Are you still thinking of going back to belgium?
natacha: no not at all, i love paris.

toto: Theres no work in the cinema industry, in belgium?
natacha: there is no cinema industry in belgium. there is sometimes a film may be if there is a chance to do in Belgium, i would do it. But i love French cinema alot, so i would do it, but at the moment there is alot of young because there is alot of ways to express youself

toto: Do you improvise a lot in front of the camera? Do you find that when you move, you have to be conscious about where the camera is?
natacha: it gives me wings, and i could give a lot, live unreserved, in front of the camera, give everything, it's the best way i find to express myself, to speak.

eugene chew
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Special thanks to Cathy from Palace Films for organising the interview and supporting the smaller fish like us, Charmaine for being toto's photographer, and a big shout out to Melisa and Yu-Ching for transcribing the text.

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