after sun | Wistful holiday memories

Since its award at the Cannes Film Festival, aftersun, director Charlotte Wells’ feature debut, has garnered rave reviews. The film stars Paul Mescal – revealed in Normal People – in the shoes of a young father on vacation in Turkey with his daughter, played by the formidable young actress Frankie Corio. Interviews with Charlotte Wells and Paul Mescal.

Emilie Cote
The Press

Charlotte Wells devoted her first short film to a teenager who, like her, experienced the loss of her father at the very young age of 16.

Shortly after, the filmmaker was looking at family vacation photos when she was struck by how young her father was. She had just found the source of inspiration for her first feature film, aftersunwhich hits theaters in Quebec on October 28.

« Il y a une certaine continuation entre les deux films, car il est question du deuil », indique Charlotte Wells.

Dès les premières minutes d’Aftersun, on comprend – avec des images de vidéos de famille – que les vacances d’un jeune père séparé (Paul Mescal) avec sa fille de 11 ans (Frankie Corio) sont des souvenirs du passé teintés de nostalgie et mélancolie.

Très proches et complices, Calum et Sophie passent pour des frère et sœur. On sent rapidement toute la bonté qui habite Calum.

Mais si Calum est un bon jeune père en excellents termes avec son ex-conjointe, il a de grandes zones d’ombre mystérieuses, poursuit l’acteur irlandais. « Pourquoi fait-il du tai-chi ? Pourquoi a-t-il un plâtre au poignet ? Pourquoi veut-il apprendre à sa fille à se défendre en cas d’attaque ? C’est comme s’il ne faisait pas confiance au monde […] I had so many questions about him while reading the script, but I deeply loved who he is. »

“I think my characters are often in denial about something,” notes Charlotte Wells. I like unpredictable people with complexity and ambiguity. I also like the feelings in perpetual change. »

Find the right actors

Charlotte Wells asked Paul Mescal after the television phenomenon of Normal People who revealed his raw talent to the world. The latter had a scheduling conflict, but he was finally able to free himself. “We had one of those conversations that you end with a rush of excitement and the feeling of having connected with someone, says the director. He understood my intentions when it was a screenplay with a reading challenge. The rave scene, for example, is very visual. He had to trust me. »

Despite our separate interviews on Zoom, we immediately understood why Charlotte Wells and Paul Mescal get along so well with their rather introverted character. “Charlotte is very gentle and attentive, which goes with my sensitivities and me who doesn’t like flashes [loudness] and careerism [pushiness] “, says the actor of his director.

The process was more difficult to find Frankie Corio, who embodies Sophie with a disarming naturalness. It took six months of auditions with 800 young girls, says Charlotte Wells.

His best advice was probably to plan two weeks of rehearsals in Turkey with Paul Mescal before shooting. “They just got to know each other by spending time together. »

We dare to point out to Paul Mescal thataftersun joined Normal People by its realism. “If I don’t choose a scenario, it’s because I don’t feel that the characters could exist in real life,” he replies.

Exceptional soundtrack

At the realization, Charlotte Wells already has a touch of her own. There is a scene, for example, where we see a photo appear quietly on a Polaroid cartridge, while an important dialogue takes place off-screen. “It reflects that the film is about memory,” she explains. It’s also a way of showing that very significant events in a life can happen very quickly. »

We must also emphasize the quality of the soundtrack which reflects the era of 20 years ago with songs like losing my Religion of REM, Never Ever of All Saints and even Drinking in LA by Bran Van 3000. But how did Charlotte Wells get her hands on the rights toUnder Pressure of Queen with David Bowie for one of the final scenes?

“I am very proud of this scene. For me, it’s the touch of an already iconic director,” adds Paul Mescal. “To have the words of a song we’ve been listening to for so many years put back into a father-daughter context is impactful,” he adds.

Artistic and non-commercial choices

For his film debut, Paul Mescal took the path of independent films, with female directors moreover, namely The Lost Daughter by Maggie Gyllenhaal (based on a book by Elena Ferrante) and God’s Creatures by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer. “I wanted to work with them because of their project and not because of their gender. It was not conscious although I know that it is a very important subject in the industry. »

Paul Mescal, who certainly cannot be accused of opportunism, says he is relieved that the madness of Normal People and Cannes be behind him. “I prefer making films to that… but it’s much easier when you like the works that you present,” he underlines.

aftersun will be in theaters on Friday, October 28.