Maria On A Wire: To get her daughter back and avoid sinking, Maria has to fight, against everyone and herself.
‘There’s a quote from James Cameron: “Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends or sister star in it. Put your name on it. Now you’re a director.”’ Christophe Granger
Notes from the Jury: “A lesson in cinematic storytelling. Utter simplicity and honesty… the film works to the strengths of the smartphone – intimate, fluid, instinctive… The genius is in how the mundane is used to tell a story – just an ordinary apartment with some kids clothes and some dirty dishes… used brilliantly to show visually the state of the mother’s mind.”
Maria On A Wire director Christophe Granger spoke to us about his stunning debut short film…
What is the story behind your film? What were the steps which led you to make it?
It is my first film. I’ve always been passionate about writing and directing but only felt ready to jump in very recently. I’m 34 and worked as a production manager. I began to write my own projects over a year ago. At some point, I felt I needed to experiment directing. That’s how “Maria On A Wire” started.
There’s a quote from James Cameron: “Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends or sister star in it. Put your name on it. Now you’re a director.”
That was very much the spirit of this project..! I needed to start, to do something. I wanted to have the freedom to fail and I wanted to learn as much as I could. So I decided to do a project with very delimited constraints: it had to be very basic in its means, with a 2 person-only crew – me and an actor, that’s all.
I had already some story ideas about a troubled mother. I reworked it within my constraints. I asked my girlfriend, who had never acted before, to act in it. And like her, much of what I had to do was new to me.
We filmed over the course of a month, a few hours here and there, at night or when she wasn’t working and our kids weren’t at home. Or even with them around, when there was no other way. For these takes, there was no point in recording sound – I had to recreate it in post… Anyway, in the end, we had a film!
Why did you choose a smartphone to film with ?
The first thing was that I wanted my actress to be comfortable. As she had never acted before, I didn’t want to trouble her with a big rig of equipment right under her nose.
The phone, with a stabilizer and a Tele lens seemed the perfect combination. I was free to move like I wished and the lens allowed me to be closer to her without being in her way and breaking her concentration.
Also the Tele lens was essential to bring that feeling of claustrophobia and tightness I needed for the film.
The second thing was simplicity. As I was all alone, I didn’t want to be lost in endless tweakings and settings. With the phone, it felt narrowed down to very few. It allowed me to concentrate on the rest as well.
A third thing was the cost. You can achieve great footage with less money invested than with other filming devices.
What equipment did you use?
I used an iPhone 6S with a Moment Tele Lens and a Freefly Movi. I shot with FilmicPro 1080p, no flat/log. As lights, I had an old strong theatre light and 2 small lite panels. I ended up using almost only the theatre one. For the sound, I had a microphone on a stand for the shots without too much movement and a lav mic on the actress for the rest. I did all the post production in DaVinci Resolve, with FilmConvert to help for the color grading step.
How much did you know about filmmaking before you made this film?
I’m familiar with the filmmaking world as I worked in the production field. But of course, when it comes to actual writing or directing, it’s not of much help. I always tried to learn from the films themselves, the books, and the ton of related content & all things technical you can find on Internet.
What did you like about filming with a phone? What were the downsides, if any?
I liked the freedom, the speed, and the simplicity of it. The first time you see what you can do with a phone and even the simplest gimbal, it’s a shock.
The main downside with my iPhone 6S was in low light situations. Retaining the mood of these shots without losing too much picture quality was sometimes hard – or just failed.
Has making the film changed your life in any way?
Doing my first film was a very important step. It gave me confidence in what I want to do: continue to write and direct. Directing in particular was a big question mark for me. I didn’t know if I would be happy doing it or if it would be a huge disappointment – not in terms of the film result, but in the very experience of it. Now I know I want to do it again.
On a more personal level, as I did this film with my girlfriend, it was a great experience, tense sometimes but exhilarating, mostly a lot of fun. What you often see in the film, is us five minutes before we rush out to take the kids out of nursery and kindergarten because we’re already late. Looking back, this film really means something for us now.
How successful was the film, personally and in gaining an audience for your work?
Personally, I’m so happy with all the things I learnt from that experience. I’m now in the process of developing a new short. This time I want to gather a small team and make something a little bigger. This first film will definitely be a great help to attract people to go along.
Looking back on the movie, is there anything you’d have done differently?
Probably many things, especially in pre-production – work more on the script, more on the shot list and so on… But I felt I had to start and just do it. And all the errors and shortcomings I made, I learnt from them. So in the end… probably not!
How important are film festivals that give these kind of films a platform for you?
It’s a tremendous source of motivation. And there are not so many along the way. For me, it’s a part of what helps you keep going. It’s essential. And it’s my first festival, so there’s nothing more important right now!
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