Biografia

[on Maria (2024)] At the same age as Maria Schneider during the filming of Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972), at 19, I met Bernardo Bertolucci: I was an intern on The Dreamers - I sognatori (2003). Admiring Bertolucci's work greatly, I often wondered how he had directed Maria in Last Tango in Paris. Maria Schneider's story struck me, perhaps because it echoed my experience on film sets when I worked as an assistant. Even a decade ago, there were few women on set. I was often the youngest and always surrounded by men. I witnessed complicated scenes, actors and actresses humiliated, and I myself felt the control some directors abused. I experienced situations that today I would describe as abnormal, without being able to express myself. So, it's true that Maria Schneider's story moved me. I'm not trying to accuse or judge, but to deal with the legacy and to offer a portrait of this society, through a new perspective, that of Maria Schneider.

[on Maria (2024)] I exchanged with many people who crossed Maria Schneider's life. I found it necessary to confront multiple points of view to uncover her truth. The testimony of one person in particular was precious to me. It allowed me to delve into Maria's intimacy, as she lived through the filming of Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972) and was Maria's friend for 17 years. Furthermore, I read and watched numerous interviews with Maria in French and foreign media. What struck me is that each time she said things that no one seemed to hear. Her words appear in 2024 as very contemporary even though they date back to the 1970s!

[on Maria (2024)] The main challenge of this film - a frontal portrait - lay in the choice of the actress. The character of Maria is complex, there are several roles in one: the young girl, the actress, the drug addict, the wounded woman... I looked for my actress after writing the screenplay. Anamaria [Anamaria Vartolomei] has a very strong screen presence, and also some panache: she wasn't afraid to do things. And then, to play Maria Schneider, you have to shine on screen. After choosing her, I discovered that she was Romanian, like Maria through her mother. We saw each other a lot, we worked, rehearsed in advance, and created our Maria together for several months. I wanted her to know the story by heart, to free herself from it during filming. I knew that for Maria's voice to finally be heard, she had to fully embrace the character. I didn't seek a perfect resemblance, I wanted an evocation, but she had to have dark eyes - Anamaria has very blue eyes - and the right hairstyles at each stage. Initially, Maria had straight hair, it was Bertolucci who made it curly, and then she kept the curly hair for the rest of her life. And then, the few referenced outfits from photos of Maria depicted a modern woman: the bomber jacket and jeans, the white suit in interviews...