What is the mood of French cinema at the moment?
ML: French cinema has always been a difficult one. The new films, by all these young filmmakers like Ozon, are quite dark. They have a lot of drama with social and political [overtones]. There’s also a huge renewal in police films and thrillers. Do these films particularly represent any particular part of French society? ML: Not specifically. There’s a lot of film on youth that reflects what’s happening in France, especially in Paris right now. Then there are some really heavy-duty films, but that goes in the category where France has always made these kinds of intellectual, hard-core dramas. They always reflect the mood of the society. What differentiates the French industry from rest of Europe and Hollywood? ML: The subjects. They really don’t mind approaching them. It’s a lot more intimate. They deal with just a few characters, not much action and a lot of personal feeling. They have fewer budgets so they have to deal with a different kind of decor, actor and distribution deal. So r
