FNC 2023: Junkyard Dog (Chien de la casse) | Interview of Jean-Baptiste Durand

In this interview, filmmaker Jean-Baptiste Durand discusses the creative process behind his acclaimed feature debut Junkyard Dog, touching on writing, character development, improvisation, and future projects.

In this engaging interview with first-time feature film director Jean-Baptiste Durand, we delve into the creative process behind his acclaimed movie, Junkyard Dog (original title: Chien de la casse), presented at the 52nd Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, in the International Panorama strand, where it swept the Audience Award.

Aurélie Géron leads the conversation, exploring the intricacies of Durand’s writing journey, the complex characters that breathe life into the film, and the dynamics between the talented actors who brought it all to the screen (especially Raphaël Quenard and Anthony Bajon). With insights into the village setting, the balance between script and improvisation, and Durand’s future projects, this interview offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of cinema and storytelling.

Aurélie Géron: During the Q&A session following the first screening of your film at FNC 2023, you mentioned that the writing of the film took place over several years, across multiple writing residencies, among other things. I imagine the process wasn’t linear. What were the main stages?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: Indeed, it wasn’t a linear process. I dedicated some time to writing, but I also had to make a living. It’s a process that involves maturation, waiting, doubts, and so on. The first year was rich in writing because I went through two residencies: Groupe Ouest and Le Moulin d’Andé. In between, I also worked on short films. At times, I had bursts of productivity, like when I committed to writing daily for three months to complete the first dialogue version. Once I had the first version, I didn’t touch the script for two months to let it settle.

Aurélie Géron: What did you enjoy most about this film project?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: Honestly, I enjoyed every phase of the project. Dreaming it, writing it… I learned a lot during the writing process because of the residencies and the people I met in the industry. It was like my film school in a way. Then, preparing for the shoot, meeting the actors, composing the music, working on the editing, and so on. I loved it! Of course, there were challenges, but I was so happy to be making a film that I didn’t mind. I was so thrilled to be making a film that I didn’t care; I knew I would bounce back. It was a blast!

Aurélie Géron: Can you tell us about the writing of the character Mirales, who is very touching due to his generosity, excesses, sensitivity, and vulnerability? He’s a strong character, sometimes hurtful, but always loyal. His complexity is well-balanced, making him an endearing and fascinating character.

Jean-Baptiste Durand: In fact, I think Mirales resembles me. I believe the work we do is an extension of who we are. I was very sincere and true to myself when writing the character of Mirales, even if it meant not following established conventions. My barometer was my sincerity. It’s true that people who are multifaceted and have such complexity particularly interest me. But I think I have that in me too. I believe I am also someone with different sides. I can adapt anywhere, but I can also be unpredictable at times. The character also resembles the people I’ve encountered in the small peri-urban villages in the South of France. I don’t like simplicity; I’m fascinated by the complexity of individuals.

Aurélie Géron: Mirales is an avid reader, a very eloquent and talkative character who often quotes Montaigne. Is Montaigne an author who matters to you?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: I’m not particularly a fan of Montaigne. But what struck me about him is his famous quote about La Boétie: “because it was I, because it was him.” It’s one of the most beautiful quotes about friendship, or even love, in my opinion. I wanted Mirales to be a character with some culture, someone interested in things, curious, but not a great scholar. So, I thought that if he were to quote a great author, it would be Montaigne. If I had him quoting Nietzsche, Kant, and Hegel, it would have shaped a different character. I found it more interesting for him to be deeply immersed in studying one author, like Montaigne. I wanted to limit his library, and I thought it was more interesting for this character to have really delved into one author. I like authors who write aphorisms like Montaigne, those who blur the line between poetry and philosophy. Hence the idea of making Mirales a big Montaigne fan.

Aurélie Géron: You mentioned during the Q&A that you had a highly scripted screenplay with very precise dialogues. However, you mentioned that Raphaël Quenard was introduced to you as an actor with a strong improvisational ability. How did this artistic collaboration go?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: The collaboration went very well because Raphaël Quenard is absolutely delightful, funny, exceptionally humane, very intelligent, artistically astute, and demanding. So, it could only go well. However, he knew that there was a script to follow, and I was adamant about it. Much of the narrative happens through the dialogues, so I really wanted to stick to the script. Nevertheless, I also knew that I shouldn’t be foolish or inflexible, so I allowed Raphaël some room for improvisation. It was a delicate balance. In the initial takes, I asked him to stick to the script. Then, in the final take, he had the opportunity to deviate a bit. During editing, I returned to something more scripted. I would say that three-quarters of the film followed the script, with about a quarter being improvisation. But there isn’t a scene entirely based on improvisation.

Aurélie Géron: Raphaël Quenard shines in the film; his performance is exceptional. How did you ensure that he didn’t overshadow Anthony Bajon’s performance? How did you find the balance between the two actors?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: These are two intelligent actors who have a deep mutual respect and affection. There was a brotherly bond between them off-camera. All I had to do was love them and let them love each other. Sometimes, they needed to discuss things because Raphaël was quite dominant, and Anthony wasn’t afraid to rein him in, and neither was I. But we worked together with understanding. There was a lot of love among us during the shoot. This made things easier and communication simpler. They are both talented actors, and within that talent lies the ability to listen.

Aurélie Géron: Speaking of the shoot, what kind of team did you work with for the film?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: I didn’t work with a small crew. We weren’t making a documentary. We had about 25-30 people on set, which is reasonable for a first feature film. We had enough people to achieve a demanding visual result. It was a true fiction production, with a traditional feature film crew.

Aurélie Géron: The village where the film is set plays a very special role. It’s a type of place that isn’t often represented in French cinema. However, you don’t like to say that you consider the village where you shot as a “character” in the film. Can you comment on that?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: A character is a living person, and the village is a backdrop. That doesn’t mean it’s unimportant, but it’s more like an arena. We all know that architecture and places shape the people who live there. That’s what molds them. Film critics and cinephiles like to call the village a character, but not me. I worked on it as a set, which greatly impacts the characters.

Aurélie Géron: Did you work with residents of these villages, or did you prefer professional actors?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: I worked with professional actors who didn’t necessarily come from these villages. The costumes, the text I had written, and the human relationships allowed them to fully immerse themselves in the setting and its atmosphere. Anthony Bajon especially liked to soak up the surroundings, so on weekends, we often stayed in the village to play soccer and take walks. However, Raphaël, who hails from the suburbs of Grenoble, ultimately had experiences similar to mine in the Larzac villages. What he told me about his experiences with his childhood friends, I had experienced the same things. Anthony also comes from a working-class neighborhood in the Essonne region and had encountered similar characters in his life.

Aurélie Géron: Can you tell us about what’s next? What kind of projects do you want to work on after the success of your first feature film?

Jean-Baptiste Durand: I’m in the development stage of a project that I started writing before shooting Junkyard Dog. I initially worked on it sporadically, maybe a few days here and there, about a week per year. But now I’m working on it more seriously. The story is also set in a peri-urban village in the South of France. It’s called The Man Who Was Afraid of Women, which is a kind of “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” in the world of small villages, amateur soccer, and wine, with a man who is comfortable in his village world, around the bar and the soccer club, until a girl he likes comes into the picture. It’s a sort of coming-of-age journey between social drama, romantic comedy, and western.