06/04/2022 - We met up with the Belgian director at the 40th edition of the Bergamo Film Meeting, where she presented a complete retrospective of her work

We talked to Belgian director Patrice Toye at the Bergamo Film Meeting, where her first feature film Rosie premiered in 1998. This year, the festival has dedicated him a complete retrospective that which includes her latest work, Tench [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Patrice Toye
film profile], adapted from the eponymous novel by Inge Schilperoord. The film, which was selected at Rotterdam and won the North Sea Port Audience Award at Film Fest Gent, deals in an original and sensitive manner with the topic of paedophilia. 

Cineuropa: In 1998 here in Bergamo you were the first female director of the Belgian Flemish side. What has changed in 20 years?
Patrice Toye: I’m very happy that many young women are taking the step. There is a lot of “macho films” and it’s good when we see things through the eyes of a woman because sometimes have a different view on the same subject.  After that, I don’t look at someone’s sex, it’s all about something to say, having high quality. That’s should be always the first thing as a criteria to invest in a project. As a film teacher, I like to give them this little extra. Women tend to be more insecure, which in a way is a quality, it makes you question and avoid clichés. But it makes them afraid and I work on that, giving them strength.

You have been very free to tackle a difficult subject in your last film, Tench. Maybe in other countries you wouldn't have been allowed.
Some important festivals said this subject was too difficult to show the audience. When we came up with this film I understood it was very unpopular to make a portrait of somebody we all call “a monster”. I am a mother of two children myself and I have my own opinion about it. I have read the book by this psychology about a young man who had a good heart but had bad thoughts on young girls, felt in love with a young girl and become a perpetrator.  He struggled against it and wanted to be on the good side. He was unforgiveable of course but the book made me change my mind regarding these people that have to fight their own nature. You must hate yourself. Many of them commit suicide. I felt the urgency of this and we have to dare to speak about this taboo. If we help these people it’s proven there will be less assaults. I tried to understand him, which was difficult.

Can cinema overturn the perspective with which we look at the world?
I don’t want to impose a vision of mine. But I think is important to take people seriously and to know that they have mind on their own. In a film you can either make people fall asleep or open up and show different visions. To look at things in another way. But I have no answers, I show you something and you can have your own opinion. I just would like to make you think about that subject and go deeper.

This kind of film is less and less present in theatres.
You can see independent films only in festivals. In my country there are less and less cinemas where to show arthouse films, you have to watch them on MUBI. Independent cinema will survive that way but it would be good to have it more on general television channels. After pandemic people are buying larger tv and it’s easier to stay at home but in the big screen you can see much details. Culture was punished, industry is shifting to platforms. Cinema will survive through Netflix winning the Oscars. We will find a way to get there. But I’m afraid people are loosing the habit to go to the cinemas on Friday night.

Are you working on a new project?
Yes, just got money to write the script. It’s also from a book and a really difficult subject again. It’s about toxic masculinity. The protagonist is a boy 14 years old. After the II War he goes to a camp for traumatized children. He wants to become popular. We slowly discover the reason why. He wants to have power like big leaders. Like Roosevelt or Hitler. But he stutters. He forgets to be human because he wants the power. You love him and hate him at the same time.

(Translated from Italian)