Sophie Barthes is a Franco-American filmmaker. Her directorial debut, “Cold Souls,” was launched by Samuel Goldwyn and performed in competitors on the Sundance Film Festival. Her second characteristic, “Madame Bovary,” was launched in 2015 after premiering at Telluride.
“The Pod Generation” is screening on the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 19-29.
W&H: Describe the movie for us in your personal phrases.
SB: “The Pod Generation” is a thought-provoking humanistic surrealist satire a few society head over heels in love with know-how. Set within the not-so-distant future, my goal with this movie is to boost questions on our relationship to know-how and the the potential penalties of its unregulated intrusion into our intimacy.
This is the story of a pair and the gestation of their child in a man-made womb. The tone is playful and satirical with incursions into profound advanced feelings round parenthood.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
SB: I’ve a dream journal and after I was anticipating my daughter I wrote down all of the extremely unusual desires I had throughout my being pregnant. The desires have been so vivid, poetic, and unsettling that I needed to place them in a movie.
I additionally was very influenced by “Brave New World.” I learn it as a pre-teen and the ebook had a profound impact on me. I like science fiction as a style and all of the doable philosophical questions it raises. But surprisingly in movie, the sci-fi style may be very male dominated. I’m focused on exploring “feminine science fiction” on-screen. I’m unsure tips on how to outline it exactly, however hopefully while you’ll see the movie you’ll perceive what I imply.
It doesn’t have to comply with all of the tropes of basic sci-fi movies: interplanetary warfare, aliens, time journey, parallel universes, monsters. I believe you’ll be able to create sci-fi with themes and points which might be very relatable, virtually a part of our each day lives however give it a twist that makes it sci-fi. It’s the “What if…” state of affairs. What if infants may gestate in pods? What could be the implications for us people? I’m additionally very interested in the concept of the commodification of every thing. In my first movie, human souls could possibly be extracted and shops to alleviate us from our existential burden. In this movie, the “ultra solution” for moms is the unreal womb. But is it actually the answer?
W&H: What would you like individuals to consider after they watch the movie?
SB: First of all, I might love for the viewers to “feel” one thing for the movie after which to suppose! I believe the great thing about presenting a movie to an viewers is that every viewers member is exclusive, so every response is all the time private and distinctive. Films function like mirrors: we challenge a part of ourselves on the movie. It’s not a one-way relationship. I believe a movie tries to convey concepts, an aesthetic expertise, feelings, and so forth., however the viewers members additionally challenge their very own life expertise on the movie.
I simply hope this movie will make the viewers snort at instances — because it’s a satire — and in addition take into consideration their relationship to know-how at present: is it a wholesome relationship? Does it appear unhinged? Why are we so seduced by know-how? What does it say about us as species? I additionally hope it’s going to assist girls to really feel that there isn’t any “perfect mother’ and that it is totally fine to be the “good enough” mom, as British pediatrician Donald Winnicott stated. My feeling is that there isn’t any “ultra solution.”
W&H: What was the most important problem in making the movie?
SB: Getting the financing collectively was an ordeal. I needed to shoot in New York however everybody within the U.S. noticed this challenge as too dangerous. It’s a visually bold movie. I couldn’t make it for a low finances. When I understood I wouldn’t get it financed within the U.S. I regarded for financing in Europe and made the movie as a European co-production. I believe it’s been 4 years within the making!
W&H: How did you get your movie funded?
SB: The movie was made independently as a European co-production which is all the time a mixture of overseas gross sales, tender cash, regional funds, tax credit score or tax shelter, fairness, and a few hole financing.
W&H: What impressed you to grow to be a filmmaker?
SB: When I first watched Woody Allen’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo” as a toddler in a movie show, I used to be fully blown away and that feeling all the time stayed with me. My mother and father have been cinephiles and, nearly as good French mother and father, they by no means actually censored the movies we may watch. So very early on I bear in mind watching movies by Bergman, Godard, Kubrick, Westerns, Chaplin, Fellini, and so forth.
I used to be by no means allowed to look at cartoons or Disney movies as a toddler. My mom all the time thought youngsters ought to have entry to raise tradition even when they may not grasp every thing, one thing would stick. I’m very grateful to her at present.
W&H: What’s one of the best and worst recommendation you’ve obtained?
SB: The finest recommendation was from my husband, Andrij Parekh, who occurs to be a really gifted cinematographer : to by no means hand over filmmaking. even when it was very troublesome career-wise and heartbreaking at instances. I bear in mind him telling me, “Well if you give up now, you would have just given up.”
The worst recommendation I obtained was most likely from myself! Not trusting my instincts or doubting an excessive amount of. I believe we will be our worse enemies at instances!
W&H: What recommendation do you could have for different girls administrators?
SB: We are very fortunate that that is the second for feminine administrators! When I began 14 years in the past it was rather more troublesome. I believe it’s a great second to be a feminine director as a result of audiences are open to female-driven motion pictures and tales which have fascinating issues to say and discover about girls. So seize the second!
I believe my recommendation could be the identical because the one I as soon as obtained: if that is your true ardour, by no means hand over. It’s like crusing: there might be tough waters and storms however when the crusing is clean it’s the most exhilarating career you can dream of. It is such a posh and fascinating career.
W&H: Name your favourite woman-directed movie and why.
SB: I completely love Agnès Varda’s “Cléo from 5 to 7.” It’s essentially the most poetic, heartbreaking, aesthetic, and shifting portrait of a lady who spends two hours strolling throughout Paris whereas ready for the results of a biopsy. It’s a few lady confronting her vulnerability and mortality but it surely’s additionally an ode to life. The movie has an awesome female sensibility. And I like that it virtually looks like a documentary. The cinematography is easy however attractive. It’s a lesson in cinema.
W&H: What, if any, tasks do you suppose storytellers should confront the tumult on this planet, from the pandemic to the lack of abortion rights and systemic violence?
SB: As filmmakers it’s our obligation to confront significant political points and lift questions. Personally, I don’t perceive cinema as mere leisure. I believe movies have an obligation to say one thing significant about humanity. It will be accomplished by way of comedy, satire, all types of genres. I don’t imply the movies should be “serious,” however they should say one thing fascinating. Films shouldn’t be lectures and hammer messages, however they need to discover themes and feelings that open up the dialogue and make us perceive a bit higher the human situation.
W&H: The movie business has an extended historical past of underrepresenting individuals of coloration onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — unfavourable stereotypes. What actions do you suppose have to be taken to make Hollywood and/or the doc world extra inclusive?
SB: I believe as administrators we have to solid as racially various as doable so audiences see on-screen a world that displays the truth round us, not a assemble that’s all white.