‘It’s torture at the editing table’

Born in Paris but raised in the French colonies of western Africa,her upbringing has been pivotal in colouring her political beliefs,which in turn have influenced her cinema. Her first film,for instance,Chocolat (1988) dealt with national identity and the legacy of French colonialism. “It is inevitable that a part of the self spills on to your work,” she says.

After a disappointing experience of studying economics,Denis enrolled at the Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques (now École Nationale Supérieure des Métiers de l’Image et du Son),in Paris,from where she graduated in 1971. At the beginning of her film career,Denis also worked as an assistant director to several noted filmmakers such as Dusan Makavejev,Costa Gavras,Jacques Rivette,Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders.

This being her first visit to India,Denis confesses that all she knew about India was influenced by Bollywood,Indian literature and art. “The first Indian film that I saw as a child was Pather Panchali,by Satyajit Ray. We had access to a lot of Indian and other Asian films,back in Africa,” she says,adding that she also watched a lot of old and damaged copies of war films procured from the US.

Ask her about her famous “shoot quickly,edit slowly” style of filmmaking,Denis replies with a laugh,“My shooting schedules are usually based on my budgets. I’m usually low on funds,so have to wrap up the shoot quickly,” she says. “The editing process is something else. You will not believe the torture that a director has to go through at the editing table. Things have to be cut,shortened and rearranged,sometimes one wants to bang one’s head on the wall.”

But Denis is also known for changing the sequence of the shots outside the script. For example,she placed the dance in Beau Travail (1999) at the end of the film,although it was not at the end of the script. Referring to it,Denis says,“I’m always insecure when I’m making a film. I try to bring forth the exact thing that I want to say,through any process required,” she says.

Content with the way things are shaping up at her class in FTII,Denis says,“I am not a teacher. I am here to learn from the students as well as share my experiences with them. But to get to know India better,I’ll need a longer trip,” she says.