French filmmaker Chloé Mazlo on ‘Skies of Lebanon’: I want the audience to discover Lebanon

Chloé Mazlo at the screening of ‘Skies of Lebanon’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

French-Lebanese filmmaker Chloé Mazlo’s film Skies of Lebanon ( Sous le ciel d’Alice) is the story of young Alice who leaves Switzerland for Lebanon, a sunny and exuberant country, where she falls in love with Joseph, a mischievous astrophysicist who dreams of sending the first Lebanese into space.

A poetic blend of the personal and the political, Skies of Lebanon combines live-action with animation to create a vivid picture of Lebanon that is inspired by the family history of the director. By using stories told to her by her grandmother about life during the Lebanese Civil War, Mazlo crafts a touching and heart-breaking story of love during the conflict.

The film was also selected for the Semaine de la Critique at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. Recently, the Embassy of France and the French Institute in India organised a screening of the film as part of their ‘Celebrating Women in Cinema’ program in New Delhi, followed by a talk with director Chloé Mazlo.

In a conversation with The Hindu, she talks about what the movie means to her and her inspiration behind creating a story like this.

What does this movie mean to you as a director?

It’s my first feature film. So, it’s important because it’s the beginning of something big for me. It’s also important because it’s a film that talks about my family and my roots.

My parents came to Paris during the war, and I was born in Paris with my brother. Before the age of eight, I had never even been to Lebanon. So I knew Lebanon only through the stories my family told me. My parents always spoke about Beirut, about how it was a crazy and wonderful land, so my brother and I were always fascinated by the idea of Lebanon.

Even my first short film spoke about Lebanon. It’s Important because it’s about one’s roots and one’s love for their country. This love for their country is strong in Lebanon, like the case in India, and people identify strongly with their nation.

What was your inspiration for the movie, since you’ve only heard stories of Lebanon?

I’ve heard stories from my mother and my grandmother, and there are lots of letters between both of them that helped me as well.

What went into the preparation of this movie?

I read a lot of historical books, and also watched a lot of movies and documentaries about the civil war. I spent a lot of time with my production designer as well.

What kind of emotions do you want the film to evoke in your audience?

I want the audience to fall in love with Lebanon, just like my grandmother did. I want them to discover this country and realise what it is to like to take care about one’s family.

What role does animation play in the movie?

Animation is like a special effect, and we use it only when other methods are too expensive. For example, making the sequence where Alice is thinking about Switzerland in live-action could be very expensive. It’s better in animation, also because the meaning is conveyed in a better way. Switzerland, as a country, is very rigid and strict, and animation can convey that without words. . You can say a lot more with pictures than with words.

Since you’ve been to a lot of countries for the screening of this movie, what kind of reactions have you received from different parts of the world?

The reactions have been very different and it’s very interesting to see that. For example, in France, the audience focused on the story of love and the relationship between Alice and her daughter. In Turkey, they are more focused on the question of exile. In Morroco, it is an everyday question of whether one should leave their country or not.

I’m excited to see how people in India react to the movie.

You have talked about the feeling of not wanting to leave a country…

For me, it’s about heritage. My parents had to leave their country because of the war. So for my brother and I, it was very important to be close to our country. And if I leave (hypothetically) I think my parents will be very disappointed. I think it’s very difficult to understand the feeling of love for a country.

Are you aware of any Indian films? Any favourites from the ones that you have watched?

I just watch big productions, the ones that have come to France. I have watched Lunchbox and really liked it a lot.

Does French or European cinema inspire you in any way?

Yes, I follow Swedish director Roy Andersson and French filmmakers like Pierre Étaix and Michel Gondry. I also like Steven Spielberg. I don’t like realistic cinema; I prefer films with graphics, animation, and so on.

Skies of Lebanon was showcased during a two-week-long French Film Festival organized by the Embassy of France in India and the French Institute in India (IFI).