My own adventure
Portrait of Shanon van Etten
Between his frenchglish and my spanglish, we manage to understand eachother quite well. I had seen some of his videos and I like the way he makes each video a little pearl of that instant.
I mailed Vincent, he was in París those days so we arranged to skype at 5PM París, 12AM Buenos Aires and we had a nice talk.
I mailed Vincent, he was in París those days so we arranged to skype at 5PM París, 12AM Buenos Aires and we had a nice talk.
I think you have a beautiful way to show the relations you make at the moment you record the videos and I’m interested in knowing the person behind the work, so I would you like to tell me Who are you?
Haha, I don’t know, I’m just a guy, sort of like… I’m interested in too many things and I guess I was searching a long time what I wanted to do with this.
I know you were a photographer first.
Basically I was studying cinema and that was cool, but I didn’t understand anything, It’ seemed impossible, the way I was taught cinema is impossible to make cinema.
I discover photography and I studied photography in a very special place in Paris. And that was the right thing you know, I need just to go out in the streets and shoot. And the way I shoot now is more exciting, simpler.
I discover photography and I studied photography in a very special place in Paris. And that was the right thing you know, I need just to go out in the streets and shoot. And the way I shoot now is more exciting, simpler.
And it’s quite visible on your work. What have you been doing before starting with this?
Nothing. I studied photography, I was living in Paris at that time and I was going out all the time, going to a concert everyday, watching movies everyday, reading books, going to exhibitions, theaters, dance, everything possible.
I really wanted to feed myself with a lot of different information. So I didn’t do much. I was sort of studying photography, sort of, but I was more like learning about many many things that I didn’t know. I guess when I was like 19 I had this revelation that I need to learn a lot about different thing to build myself, to become someone new. And that’s how I handle how I’m doing what I’m doing right now. I don’t see myself as a filmmaker, I think it comes from how I approach to art forms, in a very personal way.
I really wanted to feed myself with a lot of different information. So I didn’t do much. I was sort of studying photography, sort of, but I was more like learning about many many things that I didn’t know. I guess when I was like 19 I had this revelation that I need to learn a lot about different thing to build myself, to become someone new. And that’s how I handle how I’m doing what I’m doing right now. I don’t see myself as a filmmaker, I think it comes from how I approach to art forms, in a very personal way.
So how do you see yourself?
I’m just a guy trying. This is really what it is, I’m not an artist or anything, I don’t care about that, It’s not important, what is important is to try, and I’m just a guy learning about life, learning about different issues, that’s what I’m learning through my films. And it doesn’t make me a filmmaker.
So I guess you like to be doing it rather than watching it done.
That’s what I say to the people I work with, I’m more interested in the process and what I’m going to learn in the process. I see the film in the end is going to be nice because it is beautiful out there. But what is important is what we share together. Have you seen the video with Tomi Lebrero in Buenos Aires?
Yes, beautiful. And do you make some research about the musician before you go to shoot?
Yes and no in fact, I make another research, for example when I was in Buenos Aires. I make a lot of contacts before arriving, but I didn’t plan anything before arriving.
So I arrived and I spend like one week just like going out and going to concerts and learning and listening and talking to people about, who, what is happening, who is the people around and then, after this week I have like a video list, a clear idea on mind of who I want to film and then I shoot the films on the second week.
So I arrived and I spend like one week just like going out and going to concerts and learning and listening and talking to people about, who, what is happening, who is the people around and then, after this week I have like a video list, a clear idea on mind of who I want to film and then I shoot the films on the second week.
Only two weeks.
It can be pretty intense when I arrive to a new place I gather information very, very quickly. People trend to surprise about it, but it’s really my work and I like doing that. But after that I don’t do much research about, I get convinced and I say OK, let’s do it.
I was in Cairo a month ago, and all I knew before arriving there was I wanted to meet a muecín. Do you know what a muecín is?
I don’t.
The person in the mosque who is calling for pray like: “oooaaaaaaaaguarattta”!!!!
Ah, ok!
In the mosque, the sound of a guy singing, I’ve been quite obsessed with this sound and I wanted to make a film about that sound, but I had no idea, no contacts. And then one day I was visiting a mosque, I was from mosque to mosque, and I arrived to one that blew my mind, a incredible mosque, beautiful, I had never seen something like that, I was really astonished by the place, really amazed, and then I heard someone singing in one of the rooms, I go there and I saw that guy and I approach him to ask him Who are you, and he says: I’m the muecín of the mosque. Ok, it was obviously I had to make a movie about him. It was a very beautiful meeting, I make a movie about that guy.
There is a short bio in your site “Vincent Moon (real name Mathieu Saura) was born in Paris in 1979”… If you let me, I would like to ask you what does Vincent Moon has, that Mathieu Sara doesn’t?
Ah, haha! I guess Vincent Moon has the confidence that Mathieu Saura doesn’t have to show himself, you know? I guess Vincent Moon is just like, a sort of… like to protect yourself. It’s not a very efficient way to tell you why, but you do what you can to move yourself to do what you want.
It’s ok, every way to get self confidence to do what you want to do it’s ok to me. I’ve been googling you to know what people says about you, and I saw everywhere you go you are received by a WOW! This is Vincent Moon, it’s here, let’s go crazy!! Don’t you fear to become a monster?
Hahaha What kind of monster?
You know, a product monster.
Yes, I think I know what you mean. I’m always very easy to reach, there is even my fucking phone number on the internet, I don’t care, so I guess I try to reach the distance as soon as possible when I meet people like, hey! Hi guys, what’s up, let’s get drunk together. If I take my distance from it that would make me feel weird and that would make me some problems.
I’m a very simpler man than the one who appears to be on the internet you know?
I’m a very simpler man than the one who appears to be on the internet you know?
When you are shooting a video, have you ever feel you can’t reach the intimacy you want with the musician?
Oh, yes, maybe yes, sometimes of course and that is a sort of challenge for me to reach you further. I’m filming musicians who really, really want to be filmed by me, you know. “Oh! Let’s play a song for Vincent Moon”, that may be weird you know, because people would have too much pressure and trends to be… super tense in fact.
All the people I’m filming these days don’t even know what I do, so basically when I got the camera they haven’t fucking heard about me. And I like that, that’s a challenge for me. I have to convince again the people, and it’s complicated sometimes, they say Oh, yes, fuck you. When I was in Cairo they say you have to pay if you want me to play music, because that’s the way they play music there, they wouldn’t play for free like that.
And you became nomad?
I became nomad more by accident but it is also because I ended up being with another home suddenly, and that was just perfect, ok, that means I have to stay on the road.
And do you feel at home on the road?
Take away show of Malaikat dan singa
Do you force a musician to do something you want to have recorded? Or you just let it be, and you record what happens and you never interfere?
I often force musicians, in a way or another, to go in a certain direction but in a way, as soon as musicians decide to do something with me, they agree on the fact that I will push them in certain directions, challenge them in a way. It’s never a very aggressive push, often more trying to turn around the music to bring it in my own space. But of course, to make it simple, I try to be part of the action as much as possible, and to avoid an objective corner on the situation.
Talking to you and having watched a lot of your films I feel you are an instant-lover.
(He suddenly turned on the camera and showed me his right arm).
(He suddenly turned on the camera and showed me his right arm).
Can you see this? It has been in my arm forever I guess now, it’s an old poem. There are four lines here (and he started to translate it from right to left). It says: “You would never know what is going to happen tomorrow. You will never understand anything in this world. Maybe one day you will, but only when you will be dead. So for now on enjoy life and drink some good wine.”
Well I haven’t seen your arm before my question, I’m sure of that.
Well I’m going to stop the video if it’s ok, I feel a bit cooler without it.
It’s OK.
It’s all about being here and now, just meeting people. But I think if you want to go further, what I want to say, basically, is how do today, the whole idea of art or form of creation of being a maker (I prefer the word of maker than creator or artist). What means to be a maker today? What is your tool, and what does your tool make to your life and how do you use your tool basically to socialize and meet people? My goal is to go as far as possible.
How do I use my camera as a pretext to travel, to meet people, to meet woman, definitely. What I’m interested in any art form today is how links to society we are living in. I think this is definitely the goal of the XXI century now.
How do I use my camera as a pretext to travel, to meet people, to meet woman, definitely. What I’m interested in any art form today is how links to society we are living in. I think this is definitely the goal of the XXI century now.
From the series Temporary Valparaíso
So why do you talk about, some things I’ve read on your sites, about find a balance between technology and nature, do you see it as two opposite poles?
No, I don’t see it as opposites, but I think we trend to oppose them a lot, unfortunately. I think this intuition I had some years ago is that the only way our society can…
Can learn?
Oh, a pleasure, Flavio.
No, I don’t see it as opposites, but I think we trend to oppose them a lot, unfortunately. I think this intuition I had some years ago is that the only way our society can…
Cannot be destroyed by the way we are using technology too fast and all this information era is basically to remake a link with nature. I think we are reaching that point, we need to integrate technology to re link ourselves to the bodies, to the nature.
I’m fascinated by technology, in how do you use it in a very simple way.
I just want you to mail me some works you have been doing, and what have you learn in the process.
Let me think about it now… I learn a lot when I did the Pablo Malaurie video I guess, I really really like it, but there is some point in the movie when… You know… when there are dancing… Suddenly I realized something about our condition as a maker today, what does it mean to play music, and there is those beautiful moments, and how I love that contemplative way of being. Even if I go so fast I try to be contemplative. The big idea is that we don’t need art, the world is enough beautiful if you know how to see it.
The children are dancing in turns with their parents, and laughing, and there are some many stories, so sublime, and then this guy comes and put them a little song over them and it’s sublime again. It’s a little, little thing and he makes it magical.
The children are dancing in turns with their parents, and laughing, and there are some many stories, so sublime, and then this guy comes and put them a little song over them and it’s sublime again. It’s a little, little thing and he makes it magical.
Another one, I prefer to talk about recent stuff, (it is just an extract, the film is not finished yet), I was in Barcelona and a lot of people told me about this guy, Peret, it’s like a legend in Spain, basically is the inventor of la rumba catalana, and he makes a movement with the guitar which is called, “el ventilador”, we went an hour away from Barcelona where he lives and he welcomes us, tell me what you do and I told I meet people and make videos for them, and I was with some spanish and they were “wow this is the fucking Peret!” and he says ok, it’s very nice, but I don’t have time, I’m sorry, I can’t do it.
And I became so intense, that I convinced him. This is just a little extract, one moment, but the whole thing it’s going to be incredible, really nice.
And I became so intense, that I convinced him. This is just a little extract, one moment, but the whole thing it’s going to be incredible, really nice.
And la última, to me this is really next level, it’s difficult to watch, it will be online soon I think, It’s sacred music, it is not a music wich is performed for people, it’s for ill people, the person goes there and it is very very private. I went there twice and I convinced them to let me film, but I had to pay them, you are in a very very little room, there are four musicians and they play for one person wich is sick, to put you in trance, to get rid of that sickness, and that was such an incredible experience for me. I hadn’t to be filming, I had to be part of it. I was just like mind blowing I was so happy and I think the result is quite incredible. How can I with my western eyes can be part of it, it was really nice, so I hope you like it.
So you are finding things you didn’t know.
Yes, yes, yes, I find things but I don’t know where they are.
And that is your adventure! Thank you for talking with us.
Interview by Flavio Affonso
Photos by Vincent Moon
© FIBRA AUGUST 2010