ACID Cannes 2023: Caiti Blues | Interview of Justine Harbonnier

Director Justine Harbonnier told us about the genesis and making of her stunning, poignant and well crafted documentary feature, Caiti Blues, about to hit theaters in France.

Documentary filmmaker Justine Harbonnier met Caiti Lord ten years ago. Over the years, they became friends and Justine shot a film about this fascinating human being and talented singer, who is now looking for a way forward as she exiled to New Mexico. The result is a tender and poignant documentary, crafted with sensitivity and care, fueled with energy, nostalgia and passion. In the wake of the film’s World Premiere at Visions du Réel 2023, Caiti Blues swept the DGC Special Jury Prize for a Canadian Feature Documentary at Hotdocs before being showcased at ACID Cannes. As the film is about to hit theaters in France, we were deligted to have a chat with director Justine Harbonnier about the genesis and making of the stunning Caiti Blues.

Film Fest Report: How have you met Caiti? What was your first impression of her?

Justine Harbonnier: I met Caiti exactly ten years ago, in 2013, in Florida. I was shooting my first short film, which was a portrait of another young woman, and while filming a scene at a typical karaoke place, I noticed this other young woman singing. It was Caiti. I was immediately surprised and fascinated by her attitude and charisma. She immediately drew my attention, so I started filming her, and the funny thing is that she appears in this short film I was doing. As I saw her, I could feel a touching mix of strength and fragility. This seduced me.

Film Fest Report: How did you go from meeting her by chance to starting your film project about her?

Justine Harbonnier: After I met her that day, I stayed in touch with her. Three years later, in 2016, I was living in Montreal, Québec, and I remember being shocked by the election of Trump as President of the United States. I was not far from turning 30, and I was still figuring out what to do in life. When this happened, I got some kind of intuition and I decided to visit Caiti. I found out she had left New York and moved to Madrid, New Mexico. I landed in this small intriguing village in late November 2016, right after the elections. This is when the idea of the film came to me, as I saw Caiti struggling with her life as well. And I wanted to use this tense and worrying political context as a background for the film. I wanted to tackle this context through the character of Caiti and through her daily life.

Film Fest Report: If it was not for Caiti, you probably would not have landed in Madrid, New Mexico. And it is interesting to see how you look at this environment and include those scenic, imposing and motionless landscapes. How did you approach this environment? Did you want to use it as a metaphor for what Caiti was going through at this moment?

Justine Harbonnier: Indeed, I could feel a lot of symbols in this environment. What is special about Madrid, New Mexico is that it is an old ghost town that got repopulated by hippies during the late 60s, in the hope of keeping the “flower power” spirit alive. I found the contrast between this population who grew older and younger artistic minds interesting. And because of the election of Trump, the future suddenly became bleak for those who dreamt of brighter days like Caiti. In terms of cinematography, when I started filming those landscapes by myself, I realized I had seen those images already a hundred times. Those typical impressive landscapes in the United States echo an iconic imagery and so many famous western movies… So, early on, I had to find a way of not crafting typical postcards, but rather cinematic, meaningful visuals. I found the answer along with my fabulous and talented director of photography, Léna Mill-Reuillard. Influenced by the work of artists such as Kelly Reichardt or Andrea Arnold, we decided to use a 4:3 aspect ratio which suddenly led us to focus more on Caiti, by allowing for more intimate portraiture. Andrea Arnold once said the 4:3 aspect ratio is a “very respectful” frame, adding that “It makes people really important. The landscape doesn’t take it from them. They’re not small in the middle of something. It gives them real respect and importance. It’s a very human frame.” We really enjoyed portraying those immense landscapes in a limited frame in the end.

Film Fest Report: How did you manage to find and keep the right distance between the camera and Caiti?

Justine Harbonnier: I started filming Caiti by myself for about two years, before I ended up shooting with a small crew, which helped maintain the right distance with Caiti. At the same time, the confidence and friendship I had built with Caiti helped her feel safe.

Film Fest Report: Even though the film uses archival footage to highlight a few moments of Caiti’s childhood and successful early music career, it does not seem to be looking back at this past, but is rather set up in the present moment, focusing on the turmoil Caiti is going through at the time of the shooting. What was your approach?

Justine Harbonnier: I think there is some nostalgia in the use of the archival footage. The clips of Caiti as a child show a lively and endearing girl, which adult Caiti seems to have lost in her daily life. I wanted to show the contrast between young Caiti and what she is experiencing at the moment of the shooting. Yet, the film does not have a fatalistic approach and is really focusing on present-day Caiti who is still able to shine. The film focuses on what she can accomplish today and how she can grow, rather than lamenting a lost past.

Film Fest Report: One sequence in particular that stroke me is the stunning opening scene where Caiti is meeting with a healer. Did you immediatley feel this scene was a gift that would definitely end up in the film? And why did you choose it to open the film?

Justine Harbonnier: Filming this scene was very intense, it was extremely hot and an emotional rollercoaster for Caiti. Indeed, I immediately felt we had captured a moment that would end up in the final edit. Later, we discussed where in the film the scene would best fit. On several work-in-progress cuts, we placed it at the end, but we ended up thinking it was more appropriate as the opening sequence, as it encapsulates many of the themes the film deals with, such as the darkness inside Caiti, and her passion for singing. It is truly a magical scene, both silent and atmospheric.

Film Fest Report: Can you comment on the release of the film: its festival selections, from Visions du Réel to ACID Cannes; to its theater release in France on July 19th, 2023. How do you feel about this successful release?

Justine Harbonnier: We were thrilled to premiere the film at Visions du Réel, before bringing it to Hotdocs where it won a Special Jury Prize. Then, we were lucky to be selected at ACID Cannes, whose mission is to enable independent films to find distributors. And a few days before Cannes, we teamed up with Shellac to organize the theater release in France. It’s a first time for me! It is both disorientating and exciting because it all happened so fast, while my movie was not meant to be released in theaters. I am over the moon; the first pre screenings were very promising. The competition is fierce, between Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan) and Barbie (Greta Gerwig), but I am happy that the film has a possibility of finding its audience. Thinking of Caiti, I also believe this journey was a nice story for both of us and our friendship. Caiti was able to travel to Cannes where the film was showcased. It was an fantastic experience for both of us and we felt it was a nice achievement, knowing where we both started in 2016.