Mathieu Kassovitz - Film Director and Actor HARDtalk

Those are the headlines. It is now Welcome to HARDtalk. From engaging

child actor to best director at Cairns, he has been a darling of

French cinema for 30 years. Now he says, I am out of this country, and

it is nothing to do with taxes. Frustrated with an industry that

was indifferent to his latest film all with the politicians to furnish

some of his least appealing characters. Or could it be the

French themselves to have annoyed at Mathieu Kassovitz? His latest

film inspired by real events he thinks should shame France

attracted an audience there of just 150,000 people. As he tired -- has

he tired of France or have the Mathieu Kassovitz, welcome to

HARDtalk. When you film was released in France, the events it

portrays were already 20 years old. Why did you want to make it?

Because it is a non-story and it is a very special story with so many

symbols that can relate to what is going on in the world right now and

the way the world is shaped. I thought it was very important not

to forget about it. The story that we heard was not a true story. It

was also about trying to tell the truth. You saw it as a way of

correcting the historical record? It is something that we heard about

and then we discovered that there was another story which is totally

the opposite. It is a government like, so we need to expose it.

events portrayed are in New Caledonia, one of the former

colonies of France. It is a hostage taking situation where the

character you play, the lead character, feels that he could have

got a peaceful outcome because it is the eve of the 1988 French

election. The military go in and the police kill him and there is

Blanchard. Since then quite a lot has changed in New Caledonia. We

are moving towards a referendum perhaps as soon as next year. Would

you not reopening old wounds? was the question, but actually the

purpose of the film was to find closure. Closure for the New

Caledonian said the people from the army and the politicians. We went

together everybody around a project that could start discussions. -- we

wanted to gather. Everybody is talking about their own experiences

and they don't really know what happened. That is what we brought.

It didn't open all winter at all. For then it is a way to find

closure in the story that they carry. The son of the main

kidnapper said it was not polite and it was on respectful to make

this film. -- disrespectful. Then we knew that you intend to film in

New Caledonia, one of the politicians wrote to support your

application, but he said the film promotes strong reluctance among

the population of New Caledonia. He warned of the impact of choosing

such a sensitive topic at a particularly crucial period in the

peace process. The people do not think you helped at all. That was

before the movie was released. Then they saw it and they realised...

They were scared that I was going to do a very controversial movie.

It is not controversial at all. It is a very balanced movie that tries

to get as close to reality as possible. Controversial in some of

the characters you portrayed? Controversial in the eyes of the

people who were actually there. When they see that there is a movie

coming up about that story, they think it is controversial for them.

They make it controversial by We're trying to get to the truth.

Is no controversy in the way the portrayed it and the way you have

taken the character? -- isn't there. One of the police commanders said

he didn't speak to any of them. The film is based solely on your

character's words. For ten years we went to see everybody. Everybody

who wanted to talk to worse. We went to see the MacGill c 80. --

negotiator. We went and spoke to his colleagues. I went to see

everybody. We had to cross information to realise if it was

journalistic investigation. Four of the characters issued a joint

statement in 2011 saying it is a fiction, not a historical

reconstruction of the facts. Another one of them, a magistrate,

wrote, I don't blame Mathieu Kassovitz for mixing fact and

fiction and for giving the hero of the film, I do blame him, however,

for saying he wanted to get closer to the truth. We are putting 150

years, plus ten days of drama, into two hours. We called him for years.

He never answered. He didn't want to talk about it. He is close to

the knitters cuter. We are trying to get as close to reality, but we

are making a two-hour movie and we had to constrain reality to our

formats. It is a drama, it is a movie, but it is the ballast

reality of the political truth. Maybe we said that he didn't say --

said something that he didn't say in reality, but for the history and

how we can sum it up, it is very close to what happened. The

political evidence is close. I had a run-in wi?I ? a run-in wi we

Portree in the movie -- portray. And the minister who is partially

responsible for what happened. They came to me and said my foot --

movie is not telling the truth and that it is fiction. I asked them if

they could be more specific, but To quote him directly from back in

November, 2011, he said, a day - that is the President and the Prime

Minister - gave the order to launch the assault because the life of the

people was at stake. He is saying that your scepticism about politics

has seeped into your telling of the story. Maybe, but the problem is

that that is the way politics works. If that was the only time the

government would by and do something for political reasons,

you could accept it, but that is the way it works. That is the way

it was. I don't know why it went like that. I don't know if it was a

fight between these guys, but the result is there. When people come

to me and say my film is part a son and going towards the rebels, if

you look at the police statement, at the end 19 people got killed in

a military assault. You never have 19 deaths when you have a military

assault. Everybody was dead. People were executed. When you talk to the

professionals, the negotiators, we found solutions, but they wanted

to go to war. The audience can make up their mind when they see the

film. It is getting an international worthies at the

moment. It opens in Britain very soon. It received one nomination at

what is considered the French equivalent of the Oscars, but

received no awards. Only 150,000 French people went to see it. Last

year you said he found it unfortunate that the French film

industry does not recognise that this film is important. There were

big hits at the same time your film went out. You also quoted as saying,

why should I do a political movie in a country that just wants to

have fun and not think. Is that the explanation for the fact that it

was a flop. No, maybe the movie was good and -- not good enough. That

can be the main reason. It is not about the quality of the movie. I

have won awards before, but I never want to get them. I am not keen on

that organisation. I do not think it is relevant or interesting.

is not a measure of quality. No, it is a measure of being entertaining.

Yet to be a part of the show. I told them that I'm not interested.

I'm not interested in getting one. I'm not a vexed or anything. I

think, especially in France, we are the creator of that art. We

reinvented it many times. For many through politics. We are very

social. You guys in England took over. You have the most amazing

social movie history. All these amazing directors. I will ask you

about the politics in a moment and the politics of your first film,

which really established you as a director. On this question of what

has happened with your latest film in France. The truth is that the

audience didn't go and see it. It is not the French film industry.

totally understand. I don't know if I would have gone to see that movie

because life is not really good right now and people want to wind

down we go to the movies. You want to relax when you go to the movies.

It is not a relaxing movie. It doesn't feel good. It is something

you need to be proactive about and I understand people don't want that.

What I am shocked about is that if the industry, because that movie

didn't do well, I think the French industry needs to recognise that

kind of cinema or else it will disappear. That is why I am shocked.

If they don't recognise it, I say no problem. I cannot spend ten

years of my life doing political care any more. As much as a film-

maker, as much as an actor, that is how you see yourself? A political

activist. When I do political movies, yes. When I do movies like

that I am an activist. I need recognition not for me as a

director or actor, but for the public at -- political statement

that we mak?I ? that we mak established you, your first feature

film, is a film that had a tremendous impact when it was

released in 1995. It has been called your masterpiece. It is a

film that portrays in black and white the circumstances and the

consequences from a riot in the Paris suburbs. Why do you think it

has continued resonance? Because we got touched by grace. The entire

crew - sometimes you find the subject so you have to tell, the

timing is right. You cannot really control that. Still today I have

people coming to me saying the movie changed their life. The

entire project for everybody, we got it right. Changed their lives,

you said it changed your life. is what they said about the movie.

The latest ?I ? The latest up of that. The first was about police

brutality, this one is about government brutality. It is just a

step up. It is part of what I am as a citizen. If I can put it in my

movies. Making movies is complicated enough, so if you can

make it important just for you, you need to find projects that are

Ten years after, life imitated art. We had events in England a few

years after that. Sticking with 2005 and the rights there. He laid

the blame at the door of the websites is that as much as I would

like to distance myself from politics, it is difficult to remain

distant in the face of the deprivations of the politicians. I

politicians provoke for no reason and they want the kids to go crazy.

Nicholas Sarkozy, when he was Minister of Interior, he went to a

project at 10pm with 200 journalists and policemen. The kids,

they see that, it is an invasion. They started to throw insults and

things like that. The 250 towns and 3,000 injured. Did all those people

really have just cause? That was after the death of two children who

killed themselves hiding. The politicians said they should not

have run. Did that just to fire all the trouble over France? --

justified? If you do not respect people, do not expect respect back.

When you're a kid in a project, you need to be respected. If you are

not respected, you will go nuts. But they still responded. The

President at the time said that racism saps the spirit of the

Republic. It is not my content. It is the reaction of the kids. It

happens. It happens. Kids react. They torch cars. They did not kill

anybody. It is just a reaction against the Establishment. It is

all about respect. Rebellion is the same story. If you do not respect,

you cannot find peace. Is that a justification? I think it is. You

cannot be hit that much and not fight back. It was shown several

times in the wake of the London riots. In a lot of cities in

England. There was also looting. You said that there is political

meaning behind it. You do not do that just to get a flat-screen TV.

You say it represents the windows of the society that we are living

in. A lot of the kids come from poor parts. They did not need a

flat-screen TV, they do not even have a reason to be writing or

looting. They came from stable homes. I saw that. Things shift

from 1995 to what is going on today. They do not write for the same

things. The rage is still the same. Some kids are just stupid.

mention Nicola Sarkozy. He went on to become president. When Francois

Hollande defeated Sarkozy, he said that if he is back for another five

years, it would be a tragedy. I cannot see a positive outcome of

this situation. A year on, still used will feel that? I am sure that

she is going to be next. The right party had somebody to put in front

of them. There is no body. I do not think we can take Nicholas Sarkozy.

He was a joke. He Childers for five years. That is why he wanted to

lead France. He killed the spirit for five years. We are not the same

people as I thought we were. We do not fight any more. And why do you

want to? I like to pay taxes. But I like to pay taxes for a reason. I

want to see it in work. I do not feel that energy in France any more.

So you are not worried about the tax reclaimed to ride to produce.

- rate like Gerard Depardieu. The problem with France is that we're

protecting socialism that we created. A very specific part of

socialism. Will there be another reason for you to go? What is the

point? If you believe in all these courses, they cost money. I would

pay it everything if it was balanced and I knew my money was

not used by stupid politicians. could all say that. It is terrible.

We have got ministers having to declare their assets. I wonder what

you think is driving this suspicion and distrust. 70% of French people

think all politicians are corrupt. Including the 62% to voted for

President Francois Hollande. Their actions are the actions. If you do

not have ethics, do not expect the citizens to have ethics. So they

are doing the right things? course, but that is the way it

should be. These people should be totally transparent. They are

responsible for us. It will never be like that. Do you sympathise

with a Gerard Depardieu. Or do you think he is being theatrical?

not like the fact that he is going to Vladimir Putin. He is not a

clean five. But I understand why he's leaving France. It is not just

paying taxes. You want to be proud to be part of the country. I want a

President who represents be. I want somebody I can be behind. Just

as saying that right and left have no solution. Voting is to show

cowardice. What is the alternative? There is a song called burning and

looting. At some point, I cannot say that. Another French

Revolution? No. But people need to be scared do little bit. If you

want to keep them in line, as they need to know that you can kick

their houses. If they feel they cannot be touched, then they will

not stop doing what they do. observed, today the investigation

is up to the cinema to do what the media cannot to because of a lack

of resources. It is so there. It is an ongoing movie. Maybe in a few

years. Now we know everything. Everything is exposed. Boobies are

here to keep the memory. quickly are you reading? --