There’s a new French film titled Misericordia screening in the Windy City and the gay writer/director Alain Guiraudie flew into Chicago to talk about his latest work.
Misericordia is the French word for “mercy” and the story centers around compassion set in a small town. Jeremie, played by Felix Kysyl, returns to his roots after his former manager passes away and stays at his widow’s house. Things take a dramatic turn in the town and allies are found in unusual places in this unpredictable character study.
Guiraudie has directed over 10 LGBTQ+-centered films since 1990. He won the award for Best Director for Stranger by the Lake at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. This talented French filmmaker has starred in several of his projects over the years as an actor, but in Misericordia he serves as director and screenwriter.
Windy City Times: How did Misericordia come together in the first place?
Alain Guiraudie: It came from several ideas like many of my films, but the multiple ideas eventually came together. I made the film for the last image in it at the end, but this might have been unconscious at the beginning. It became more clear as I went along with the process.
WCT: Was it like working backward?
AG: No, because in reality, I didn’t work backward; I worked forwards. The ending image was important to keep in mind the whole time, though. I had to know the end to start writing the story in this case, but sometimes it happens as I go along.
WCT: Did you feel Felix Kysyl was your muse for this film?
AG: No, I had created the script before he was cast.
WCT: Talk about filming the scene in the confessional.
AG: It was an important scene and took about five hours to film. It was very well rehearsed, and the actors knew their parts in the scene. We made two different versions to make sure it was done correctly.
WCT: What do you think audiences will enjoy about Misericordia?
AG: I have talked to audiences at early screenings and they were surprised by the film. They said it was not what they expected and they were especially surprised by the tone of the movie. It balances between tragedy and comedy.
WCT: What are you working on next?
AG: It will be an adventure movie and filmed outdoors. It’s sort of a sequel to Mutiny on the Bounty, but I am not using the same characters. There will be similar characters as the original, but they are French, not British.
It is after the revolution and takes place on an island. It’s about the community that the people form with Tahitian people and colonialism. As you can imagine it will be a sensual movie as well as a political movie.
WCT: Is there a queer aspect to it?
AG: No, this will be my heterosexual movie.
WCT: How has your journey been as a queer filmmaker?
AG: Ever since I started making movies I have been out of the closet. It was hard for me to come out professionally and represent my sexuality. But the film that was very important for me was Stranger by the Lake. What was successful for the film was that we went for a specific, singular world that was airtight, but we were able to appeal to a larger audience. It wasn’t just a movie for the LGBTQ+ community. We need to move out of that niche in cinema.
WCT: Where do you see French filmmaking going in the future?
AG: French cinema is heading in a serious direction with more dramatic films and the same goes with television series. France is very attached to seeing films in the theater and the country goes out even more to see movies than the United States does these days since the pandemic.
In France, we produce over 200 films a year and even though it can be hard, we still maintain that level of production. The real question is are we making too many films?
WCT: That sounds like a good problem to have.
AG: [laughs] Rich people’s problems!
Misericordia opens Friday, March 28, at Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St., and Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., in Chicago.