Our latest episode of The Filmmakers Podcast is with Coralie Fargeat, writer and director of Revenge and The Substance. Hosts Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir chat with her about her creative process, the challenges of making bold films, and the personal themes that fuel her work.
Being Sincere in the Storytelling
Sincerity is at the heart of Coralie’s filmmaking process. When asked about the intensity of her films, she explained, “I do it with sincerity for the story. The right way to express it was with the amount of violence that I have been feeling regarding those themes.”
She prioritises authenticity over universal appeal: “Your movie is never going to be for everyone. When you do a bold film it’s going to provoke intense reactions. I’m super happy about that.” The honesty of her filmmaking not only sparks reactions but also fuels meaningful discussions.
Coralie reflected that “some people are not going to understand it, some will have a really aggressive reaction; but many people enjoyed the fun ride, the entertaining part, and resonated with the themes. The discussion it sparked is incredibly rewarding. That was the main goal.”
Her Feminist Themes
The plan was not to create an explicitly feminist film, however, the reception of her work has helped her recognise its implications. She shared that “the movie’s, for me, totally linked with revenge. I was exploring how you can be seen, treated, and considered depending on how you look, and how you behave. And if you step out of those boxes, they can erase you.”
She developed her perspective by sharing that she: “didn’t know it was feminist. I needed to write that story and the reception made me understand it was feminist. I didn’t rationalise it at that time, but afterwards, it impacted me a lot.”
Turning Personal Struggles into Art
Coralie’s films often reflect her own emotional experiences. She described the inspiration for The Substance by saying, “When I passed my forties, I started to think about my next project. I started to have these thoughts about ‘now my life is going to be over’. ‘It’s going to be the end for me’. ‘I’m not going to be interesting’. ‘I’m not going to be valued’.”
She channelled those feelings into her work by creating a cinematic exploration of how society sexualises and defines women and their bodies. “I’m not writing a book. I’m not writing a feminist manifesto. I’m making a film,” she emphasised. “ I wanted to make it in a way that the audience would feel it and have the sensations that will lead to discussions.”
Getting A Bold Film Made
Creating unconventional films is tricky, especially when securing funding and resources. Coralie shared that “people were interested after Revenge, but no one was going to give tons of money to do a story about women getting crazy and ending in a bath of blood.”
The pandemic added another challenge because “people got very scared. It was tough for movies. It didn’t help being bold, risk-taking, and willing to try stuff. They wanted safe projects”.
Coralie took a sensible approach and co-produced her film to maintain creative control and to make strategic decisions that would optimise her budget. “I wanted to do all the prosthetics for real. I wanted to do everything on a practical level. It starts to shape the scale of the film,” she explained. By prioritising her vision, she ensured the final product remained true to her intentions.
Building the Right Team
Being surrounded by the right collaborators was crucial in bringing her vision to life. She recounted how Eric Fellner, of Working Title, became a key partner: “After Revenge, Eric contacted me because he loved (it). He wanted to work with me for my second feature.
I didn’t want to compete with anyone. For me, I wanted to write first and say, ‘this is what I want to do’ and then choose the best partners to do that film.”
Eric’s support made a significant difference. “I know that making a film is hard. I knew that this specific movie was going to be hard. It was ambitious. The way I work is demanding. I needed someone who would not give up at the first obstacle,” she said.
Casting and Collaboration
After Giles described the film as “unflinching, we see a lot of nakedness, a lot of emotion.” Coralie shared that, “many people turned down the script for various reasons.” Which reiterated that it was important to find actors who embraced the film’s boldness.
Coralie recalled her initial conversations with Demi Moore because she felt she “needed to explain why the film needed everything on screen – the excess, craziness, nudity. Each shot had a meaning. I wanted her to understand and feel at ease.”
She also highlighted the importance of trust in these collaborations. “The trust has to be very strong. There are going to be bad days, doubts, and moments where you’re tired. You have to have conversations that solidify the project, why you want to do it and trust where the filmmaking is going to take you.”
Having Creative Freedom
Despite the obstacles of bold filmmaking, Coralie remains committed to pushing boundaries and embracing creative risks.“When you’re living the tough experience, for me, you never give up. I work on one project at a time and I invest everything. I can’t fail, it has to be done. In my mind, there is no way that I don’t get this movie made.” she affirmed.
Reflecting on her journey, Coralie concluded, “It’s a matter of having your expectations meet reality. In the end, everyone trusted what I wanted to do and gave me the freedom to make it.”
Listen to the full episode with Coralie Fargeat here.