5 Questions with Clemy Clarke
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
I was introduced to film like a religion. I’m grateful to be born in a family of filmmakers. My parents fed me classics every night, Bergman, Kazan, Kieslowski, Clouzot… it’s amazing I was exposed very young to film, but to be honest, sometimes I just wanted to read comic books instead... When I became a teen what really got me into filmmaking was painting. I used to paint a lot and then I realized film could be used the same way as a paintbrush, I could literally dive into the colorful worlds I was creating. I was so consumed by emotions, and still am, that filmmaking for me is a release, a way to breathe. I directed many short films in highschool and college (SCAD and UCLA) and then I trained on film sets in LA. I directed a series of shorts called Hollywood webseries, which was shown on Vice. That’s when C.C. Kellogg reached out to me about a new project.
2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?
C.C. Kellogg who is a dear friend and past collaborator, asked me to direct a script adaptation she wrote of Anton Chekhov’s short story “Anyuta”. I was very touched that she chose me, and even more enthusiastic when I read her work. I was struck by the scene of a young man painting on a woman’s body to study anatomy. Not much is really said in dialogue, all is expressed between the lines, in the touch, the gaze, the desire building in a woman, the coldness of a man’s silences… This story felt relatable today even if it was originally written in 1886. I could see in this story the difficulty of communication in love. It speaks today, when we tend to avoid speaking directly to one another, we fear to say how we feel, to be vulnerable.
3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?!
It was the first time that I directed a piece I didn’t write myself. It was a challenge to bring another's imagination to life. At first I couldn’t understand why the character of Anyuta would act in certain ways, like her passivity. Why Steven wasn’t tender with her, why was he so distant. But with time I got to become more familiar with them and see their complexity as what makes them so interesting and real.
The easiest part? Hmm… Maybe if I may, I would change the question to most pleasant part? Working with such talented actors like Sophie Mae Reppert, Theo Solomon and Blake Kubena was such an beautiful experience. Also I had the chance to work with the amazing cinematographer Irene Gomez-Emilsson. Everyone on this team was fantastic.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
I love the film "Arizona Dream" by Emir Kusturika. I’ve seen it many times and again recently. In these strange times I felt like I needed to escape (visually) to a desert where fish fly in the sky… That’s all I have to say, you have to watch it if you haven't already!
5) What’s next for you?
With many projects on hold because of the pandemic I’m currently writing a new script. Fingers crossed, and it will be my first feature film.
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IG: @clemy_clarke