Right from the age of 14, Christian ZUBER was my idol. He was a famous French director who commited his life to conservation and biodiversity issues. His production was currently screened on television, notably « Fantastique Afrique » and « Caméra au Poing » which took him as far as the Galapagos Islands. To me this volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean – off the Ecuador coast – was my Holy Grail, the birthplace of Darwin’s theory of evolution narrated in « The Voyage of the Beagle », an unknown territory I was dreaming to explore. At the time, I wanted to follow his path… When I reached 19 though, while I was still studying Ecology in Britain, I discovered David ATTENBOROUGH’s « Life on Earth » series, which finally triggered my secret decision to become a director.
During my time as a student in Loughborough, I met a guy in the train on my way to London and this chap turned out to be the SFX and animation supervisor for SPIELBERG’s blockbuster « Jaws ». Not sure I understood all of the conversation we shared but that was definitely my first close encounter of the 3rd kind ! A few years later, and while I was starting my scuba club in La Marsa, Tarak BEN AMMAR’s production company approached me to hire equipment for the French TV series « Saison Violente ». I ended up acting both as a diving supervisor and a security officer for the shoot… But most important, I bumped into two of Captain Cousteau’s fine underwater cameramen Henri ALLIET and Philippe MORICE who offered their collaboration for my first short « Lost Horizon ». This is how I set foot in the world of filmmaking !
Kubrick’s « 2001, a « Space Odyssey », « Paths of Glory » and « Barry Lyndon », Jim Jarmusch’s « Stranger than Paradise », John Boorman’s « Deliverance », Hitchcock’s « North by North West » and « Rear Window » were the main ones and also David Lean’s « A Passage to India » which haunted me for more than 30 years !
« Deliverance » undoubtedly, first movie I got to watch and analyze at East Anglia University… I just love it !
Filmmaking is a long-distance race so learn to breath and start boxing, it helps !… Work hard, keep your spirits high, be strong and resilient. Open your eyes and get connected with the throb of the Universe !
