Being France.
”…what is a man…what is a woman…what is a transexual…i just feel like me…”
I heard about Nick Olsouzidis and his part in the Cannes Film Festival award winning film ‘Being France’ through a mutual friend we both shared. I had to check it out! Being France is a short film about a transsexual named France Mascolo, the film documents one day in her life, telling her struggles through her journey in her city and the relationship with her family and her outlook of the world. The film was made as part of The Real Ideas Studio programme for the Cannes Film Festival. I caught up with Nick for a few words about the movie.
Tell us about The Real Ideas Project?
Rhea Kewalramani from India was the director, Ricky Mastro Director from Brazil was the director of Photography, Nick Olsouzidis from Greece was the video/sound editor and music composer, Jai Field from Canada is a motionographer and did graphics for the titles and Garry Newkirk is from San Francisco and was the producer of the film.
What was it like being at The Cannes Film Festival?
Cannes during the festival was glamorous, busy, fast, shiny, beautiful, sometimes a bit plastic and shallow with people trying to get a photo in “that red carpet” just to go say they have done it! and show their family and friends their moments on the “symbol of fame” and camera flashes…we took exactly the opposite approach…we tried to forget about what the red carpet and the camera flashes does to your ego and your definition of self and focus on a story that speaks about a journey of someone trying to define her own self….as france mentioned in the video….”…what is a man…what is a woman…what is a transexual…i just feel like me…” This phrase sums the essence of the short. The experience was intense with heavy work load and extended working hours (i remember the point when i was composing the piano parts at 5 in the morning with a laptop and a pair of headphones…!) and the final recording of france’s performance “over the rainbow” happened in the last day before submission when i recorded her in the empty stage of the cabaret she performs. I met some of the most talented people i know…I collaborated with a small team of very skilled individuals to produce this film…and formed a network of people that are already interested in the way i work and have offered me collaborations on music composition and film making.
Check out the film and let us know what you think.
Photos Nick Olsouzidis
