How do you shoot a film during the Olympic Games? Director Laurent Slama, who brought A Second Life to Karlovy Vary, has the answer. “Filming was challenging, but not as much as we feared. Most Parisians left the city for the Olympics, and Paris without Parisians is perfect,” he said and shared a story about how unexpectedly easy it was to cast a police officer in the film. “We asked him if he’d like to be in it, and as it happened, he turned out to be an amateur actor, so he was thrilled to join. When you film in Paris, you usually get yelled at, but during the Olympics everyone was friendly, even the police!” Slama said.
The film, which is celebrating its European premiere at KVIFF and was described by one viewer as “a cinematic caress”, follows the story of a woman who struggles with pressure at work, depression and hearing disability. She is portrayed by Agathe Rousselle, known from the Cannes-winning Titane. “I met her for another project eight months before the Olympics, and she seemed interested in this idea, so I quickly began writing the script and preparing everything,” the director shared.
The shoot was equally quick – just fourteen days. “It was a low-budget and ecological film, we didn’t have cars, we got around by subway or on foot, which was faster anyway. In the evenings, we were so exhausted we didn’t even have the energy to go for a beer,” said Slama, who not only directed but also took on the camera work on this tender reflection on connection, openness and vulnerability.
