American Cinematographer - September 2004 - 105

on Both Sides of the Atlantic:
A Conversation With Willy Kurant, ASC, AFC

Shooting
Interview

by Benjamin Bergery
Americans think 'French hours'

means

wouldn't cut it.
In France, the meal is sacred!

working without a break, and with a
permanent buffet. In reality, working
time is defined by French law. There are
two types of days: either from 9 to 6

mental act, and it has to last one hour,
seated and served. Conversations at the

with

table

a

one-hour lunch break, or from

until 7:30 p.m. with lunch at 11.
You work between 8 and 10 hours a day,
noon

and then there is overtime, which has to
be requested by the production and

accepted by the crew. Overtime after 8
p.m. is very expensive.
French

crews

eat dinner in the

have time to

coalesce. On location, I've noticed that

created around

will often eat

crews will get room
face a microwave in a rented

or

flat because of their

longer hours.
European, the American
workload is staggering. In the U.S., it's
supposed to be 12 hours contractually,
For

Einematographer Wil y Kurant, ASC,
AFC,

a

resident of France, is in

a

unique position to explain the differ¬
working cultures that exist in the
U.S. and European film industries. Fie

ent

has shot

more

than 60 features, includ¬

a

and the union would like
no more

us

to work for

than 14 hours. Nevertheless,

often face 16-hour

days in the
completely agree with state¬
ments made by the late Conrad Flail and
others protesting this dangerous state of

we

States. I

six hours after the

shoot,

affairs.

Orson Welles and Maurice Pialat. AC

strong, whereas the French ones are
weak, and it's surprising that the work¬

sides of the Atlantic.

The American unions

ing hours
such

a

are so

are

very

long in the States with

strong union. Flow do we resist in

France? I think it's because of the labor¬
American
Lets start

Cinematographer:
by discussing working

hours.

Willy Kurant, ASC, AFC: Some
92

September 2004

grips and electricians. When you
pizzas arrive on an American set
after 12 or 13 hours, you know you're in
for a 16-hour day. In France, pizzas just
ers:

see

so

lunch

Otherwise there is

beginning of the
be called at 5 p.m.

can

meal

a

penalty, which

doesn't exist in France. But then, you
would never have lunch at 5 p.m. in
France!
Lunch is
the life of

a

an

essential part

of

French movie.

Kurant: I've been told by Ameri¬
producers that they didn't want elec¬
tricians and grips drinking wine, but it's a
can

matter of French law: there has to be a

bottle of wine
drink

or

on

the table, whether you

not. Most of the crew don't drink

at lunch, or they may drink one glass, but
they don't get drunk.
What do you think of the

American meal?

Kurant: The American meal is

ing groundbreaking work with directors
such as Agnes Varda, Jean-Luc Godard,
recently sat down with Kurant to ask for
his observations about working on both

table. Off-set dinners

a

equally important. Many French
projects are born in restaurants - that
is where production teams are defined.
I'm not sure this is the best system, but
that's the way it is!
are

together, U.S.
service

always drift toward creative

In the American system, you eat

will
go home to eat with their families, and
the younger ones will go out to a
brasserie together. That is where teams
crews

sacra¬

aspects of the metier. Teams are often

evenings?

Kurant: Often the older guys

while French

Kurant: The meal is the

a

30-minute lesson in

democracy. Every¬
one stands in line, even big stars. There
is always a vegetarian option. Some
crew members elect to take a nap in the
truck instead of eating because they are
so exhausted. But people have to eat too
quickly, and American crews spend a lot
of time at the craft-service table, where
there is all this junk

is

a

food. In France there

'casse croute' around 4 p.m., sand-

KDiorkulagnlads.

byPhot
American Cinematographer - September 2004

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2004
