Hans Neumann
Deux Metres, Hans Neumann (2020)
Hans Neumann is a Peruvian visual artist living and working across New York, Paris and London. He studied photography at the International Center for Photography, assisiting photographers such as Cedric Buchet and David Eustace. His first short film Love Theories: Ally premiered as part of Filmatique Talents 2019; his new short Deux Metres, shot on the eve of the Covid-19 outbreak in Paris, is screening its world premiere as part of Talents 2020.
Hans Neumann participated in an exclusive interview with Filmatique as part of Talents 2020.
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FILMATIQUE: While clocking in just over 4 minutes, Deux Metres ushers us swiftly through the inner thoughts of Angele, a Frenchwoman who suspects that the director is actually out to make a film about himself. When did you first have the idea for Deux Metres, and what does the story mean to you?
HANS NEUMANN: I was in Paris in between jobs and people were already starting to be really worried about Covid-19. I remember meeting people that wouldn't come close or kiss, which in such a warm culture as in France is the norm (la bise). I knew I wanted to shoot a short film and I had a vague idea of what I wanted to tell. We were just not sure if we were going to be able to or have enough time. Luckily we found Angele—she liked the script and the idea came together.
I knew I wanted to do a sarcastic portrait of myself through a narrator who was going through her day to day. The film is a combination of both of our worlds because I told the story within Angele's world (her home, her neighborhood, etc). The google search and facts came a bit later, as a way to portray the state of constant and sometimes excessive information or misinformation we get from different sources in this globalized world. And more specifically the virus at this moment. I feel the internet is sometimes so important in our lives and people take it so seriously to the point that somebody can self-diagnose among other things. It gives me a little anxiety.
FLMTQ: Angele Metzger is a mesmerizing onscreen presence. How did you come to cast her in the lead role, and how did you work together to bring her character to life?
HN: Thanks to Caroline Mauger who helped with the casting. I didn't necessarily need a trained actress, but after seeing Angele and seeing some of her performances I knew she would be great. I wanted somebody that would feel comfortable in her skin, not overact, and feel natural. I emailed her and we chatted over the phone, I sent her the script, she liked it I guess, otherwise we wouldn't have made it. The other challenge was to do it in French. I am Peruvian, and my native tongue Spanish helps to understand French, but my motivation to stick to the language came from the fact that I been studying it for the last 5 months, so I guess I wanted to play with it a bit.
Deux Metres, Hans Neumann (2020)
FLMTQ: Angele's rambling voiceover, breaking of the fourth wall, and direct address to the spectator evoke resonances with directors working in the French New Wave, such as Jean-Luc Godard or Agnès Varda. What filmmakers, if any, inspired you or influenced Deux Metres, and how?
HN: I always say it I am profoundly inspired by the French New Wave. Godard, Rohmer and Pialat are among my favorite directors, even if the latter was a bit of an outcast, or anti-New Wave director. I been watching their films since I was in University back in 1998, but I still feel I am trying to my find my own language. I am really loving Carlos Reygadas, Yorgos Lanthimos and Ruben Östlund's films lately—all very different from each other but each with something to offer.
The idea of her talking to the viewer 'behind my back' came specifically from Two or Three Things I Know About Her, where Godard has a narrator whispering what's happening in the scene. For Deux Metres I loved the idea of her secretly talking to my audience behind my back about what was going through her head. From Rohmer I took the simplicity of a beautiful shot. Greenaway was also I guess a bit of an influence for this, as it helped me pause a bit. Coming from the photography industry where I work commercially, sometimes the pace is so fast that remembering his movies helped me breathe in some scenes.
FLMTQ: Deux Metres was shot on the streets of Paris, on the eve of the COVID epidemic, on 16mm no less. Can you touch upon your collaboration with Basil Fauchier, your director of photography, on the decision to shoot a guerilla-style film on celluloid? What obstacles did you face on set, and how did you overcome them?
HN: Basil and I have collaborated on a lot of projects together so we know each other well. We recently adapted a little monitor to fit on my SR3, so that helps a lot while shooting analog. I guess I like to have control over shots and preview scenes more than others because of my photo background, but I am slowly trying to step back, especially when I need to focus more on direction. We both love analog and we had the camera with us from a commercial job we were working on so it wasn't a difficult decision. My style of shooting is very guerrilla normally, I like to get things done and try to have small crews when I am shooting. We didn't have many obstacles other than a soft rain at some point, and luckily our Camera Assistant Tommy Boullet was prepared for it all.
FLMTQ: How did the film evolve over the course of its lifespan? Was the plan to make a COVID-inspired film, or did the narrative simply evolve serendipitously?
HN: The script came together before we shot the movie. It always had the backdrop of a looming pandemic but I wasn't sure how obvious I wanted to make it. The day we recorded the voiceover Angele and I recorded two endings. Angele said, "let's do a third ending where I say both." And that's what ran on the final cut.
Deux Metres, Hans Neumann (2020)