14 March 2010

Michel Gondry

   Saturday night and Sunday morning were Michel Gondry @SXSW time. Thanks to the tenacity of my friend Brian, we actually got to speak with him after his movie & Q&A Saturday night. He is one very intense personality. When Brian asked him to sign his Rubik's cube, Gondry wrote his name on all three sides (12 letters taking up four squares on 3 sides) and something else each of the other sides.... I saw 2010 on one of them. It was all very intentional. 
   I saw that aspect of his personality again in today's panel interview. He once did a project where you could pay him $20, send him a picture and he would sketch a quick portait, sign it and send it back. He then published a book with many of the sketches. It turns out that one of the sketchees was in the audience. Gondry made him come up and they took a couple of minutes to find the photo. The interviewer seemed nervous taking so much time out of the interview, but Gondry insisted. 
  I have no doubt that Gondry's attention to detail and tenacity that he displayed informally is a large part of what make his work successful. I reckon it may drive his actors and other staff crazy, but his patience to do something exactly right shows in his work. Thanks, Michel.

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