Michel Hazanavicius reflects on his career in a recent interview, discussing the challenges he faced, particularly the harsh reception of his 2014 film, The Search. Despite its ambitious narrative set during the Chechen war and initial excitement at Cannes, the film suffered from negative press and low box office turnout, marking a significant setback for the director. Hazanavicius remains proud of the film’s exploration of historical conflicts, now available on VOD, DVD, and Blu-ray.
Michel Hazanavicius Reflects on His Career
In celebration of the DVD and Blu-ray release of his stunning animated feature, The Most Precious of Goods, acclaimed director Michel Hazanavicius took the opportunity to delve deep into his body of work in a recent interview with Les Années Laser. This candid exploration touched on his early career, notable successes, and the challenges he faced along the way.
A Harsh Reality Check in 2014
One of the most significant setbacks in Hazanavicius’s career occurred in 2014, a moment he describes as a jarring uppercut. Following the overwhelming success of The Artist in 2011 and his work on the sketch film The Infidels in 2012, he directed The Search. Set against the backdrop of the second Chechen war in 1999, the film intertwines the lives of four characters.
Debuting at the Cannes Film Festival, The Search suffered greatly from a negative press screening. While the festival has a history of mixed reactions, this particular instance stung deeply for the director. “I returned to Cannes after The Artist,” he shares. “The morning press screening was brutal, but the evening audience responded warmly, even applauding during the film, which led to an extended standing ovation. Unfortunately, the damage was already done—the harsh criticism from journalists had overshadowed The Search.”
The inspiration for the film arose after the success of his OSS 117 series, which allowed him to pursue more ambitious projects. He considered creating a film about Chechnya or a silent black-and-white feature, ultimately choosing the latter first. “Winning the Oscar for The Artist encouraged me to tackle an equally daring project centered on a conflict involving non-Western protagonists,” he noted. However, financing such a war film proved challenging, necessitating the involvement of well-known actors, leading him to cast Bérénice Bejo and Annette Bening, despite the real-life focus being on Chechen and Russian characters.
Filming took place in Georgia, utilizing military equipment left over by Russia, which adds an ironic twist to the production. “Before Cannes, everyone was excited about The Search,” he recalled. “Yet it couldn’t withstand the press scrutiny, and its fate shifted dramatically in a mere two hours.”
He likened the swift change in perception to a drastic fall from grace, stating, “I went from being seen as the Orson Welles of Citizen Kane to the cinematic equivalent of Max Pécas. The shock was incredibly difficult to process. Regardless of the criticisms, I stand by my exploration of history, as events in Ukraine today can be traced back to the tragic happenings in Chechnya.”
Unfortunately, the negative reception didn’t end with the press. The film struggled at the box office, garnering only 73,331 viewers in France, and was released 20 minutes shorter than its Cannes version. This marked the lowest attendance in Hazanavicius’s career—a painful and, in his view, undeserved outcome for a film that aimed to shine a light on a conflict many chose to ignore, despite its $25 million budget.
If you’re interested in exploring The Search, it is now available for viewing on VOD, as well as on DVD and Blu-ray.