Interview with Actor and Director Mathieu Rivolier

Interview with Actor and Director Mathieu Rivolier

Interview by Andreea Boyer // Edited by Chris Charles of Idol Features

Mathieu RivolierFrench actor Mathieu Rivolier has a long and impressive list of credits that include film, television, and voiceover work. His most recent directorial credits are for the short films For One and Desire Pastel, both of which he also wrote.

Andreea Boyer: How did you start your career as a filmmaker and what has motivated and inspired you?

Mathieu Rivolier: I worked as a comedian for a long time. In 2015, in Paris, France, I was invited to an international festival of short films and I saw magnificent films from 2 to 10 minutes. I immediately thought that I wanted to film a story that would be, one day, projected into a movie theater. I then decided to tell my dreams. I wrote a screenplay and I shot with a Canon 5D Mark III. My first film is called For One, lasts 8 minutes, and is black and white. I have submitted my film to many festivals and today there are 115 international selections and 11 awards.

Andreea Boyer: What can you tell us about your movie Desire Pastel?

Mathieu Rivolier: In 2017, I missed making films too much, so I wrote a scenario that mixed thriller, fantasy, poetry, and sensuality. I gathered a new team of technicians and actors who easily gave me their confidence, thanks to For One‘s success. So, I shot Desire Pastel. The film lasts 14 minutes and is in color. I was very lucky because the locations are superb and exceptional.

Mathieu RivolierAndreea Boyer: Where did you film Desire Pastel?

Mathieu Rivolier: A hospital in Paris lent me half a floor before the maternity ward was renovated, a huge loft that is usually used for shooting luxury products, Lake Daumesnil in Paris, and Rue Ordener with a hundred meters of graffiti and a beautiful apartment.

Andreea Boyer: How did you come up with the idea for Desire Pastel?

Mathieu Rivolier: The idea of Desire Pastel is quite simple. I wanted to give power to an indefinable woman, an angel, half-caste, and dumb. Then I wrote this amoral and cruel history where my tastes for painting, literature, and my empathy for human beings and minorities shine through.

Andreea Boyer: What can you tell us about the main actress in Desire Pastel?

Mathieu Rivolier: I chose Clara Guziewicz from many actresses who have auditioned by reciting a poem. What is paradoxical is when you know that the actress had to learn sign language with Annie Mako, one of the most important specialists of the deaf in the theater. All of the apparent innocence of Electre was clear in Clara.

Mathieu RivolierAndreea Boyer: What can you tell us about your other films?

Mathieu Rivolier: Desire Pastel continues its life in festivals with 45 selections and 12 awards and has just been chosen by Unifrance Films for the French Spring Festival in Ukraine. Currently, I am preparing Tambalacoque, a feature film based on my screenplay and will show at Mauritius if a producer has a crush on my project!

Andreea Boyer: What can you tell us about your best experiences and which moments in your career have been the most influential ones for you?

Mathieu Rivolier: My fondest actor memories are the shoots where I saw fellow talented actors working.

Andreea Boyer: What is your advice for all young independent filmmakers on how they should work on their goals and reach the best audience for their individual work?

Mathieu Rivolier: If I can afford to advise young filmmakers, I want to tell them to work a lot on their screenplay before filming and choosing their actors, who will be 80% of the success of the film. Last point; never neglect taking audio recordings.

Thank you, Mr. Rivolier. We wish you continued success.

Isabelle Pasco, Mathieu Rivolier, and Sami Frey
Isabelle Pasco, Mathieu Rivolier, and Sami Frey from the 1986 film
Sauve-toi, Lola (Run for Your Life, Lola)

For One

Mathieu Rivolier

 

See more of Mathieu Rivolier and his works at his IMDb page.