MES ENTRETIENS FILMÉS

“I began my Mes Entretiens filmés in 1995 at a point when I wanted to quit filmmaking. It took me almost 18 years to complete! Mes Entretiens filmés represent a kind of sum total, a track record. It’s sort of my poetic art and, if you like, a lesson in filmmaking. You can see it as a manifesto for independent cinema, free from financial and professional constraints, or as an introduction to Boris Lehman’s filmed oeuvre, or even a proof of friendship and an act of loyalty towards those close to him. These are not interviews in the strict sense of the term, it’s a film made up of little conversations that all have a mise en scène. We discuss filmmaking, of course, but what you mainly see is how Boris Lehman’s filmmaking is put together and constructed right before your eyes. It’s something like a first try; rough, spontaneous work, because nothing is prepared, it’s always the result of chance encounters and opportunities to shoot. So, there is plenty of stuttering, hesitation, repetition and moments that may seem boring – I didn’t want to cut those out, or clean them up to use filmmaking jargon, as this dross is part of the film. As Patrick Leboutte once said, it’s about a thought in progress, a thought in the making. Finally, it seems to be a film on the art of being together. A gallery of portraits that paint a self-portrait in filigree or as a mirror image. Mes Entretiens filmés comprises 3 chapters. The first, which dates back to 1995, includes 15 talks and is illustrated with 6 film excerpts. The second consists of 17 talks filmed between 1995 and 1998 (+ 7 excerpts). The third spans 1998 to 2010 and contains 13 talks (+ 5 excerpts).” (Boris Lehman)