At 34 years of age, Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan revealed this week that he has chosen to give up filmmaking and directing. What led you to make those decisions?
In interview with The countrythe acclaimed creative mind behind movies like Mommy (2014) and tom on the farm (2013) argued that his premature retirement was due to the constant disappointments of leading productions that, at the end of the day, no one sees.
«I renounce cinema and directing. I no longer have the desire or strength to commit myself to a project for two years and then hardly anyone sees it, “he explained to the medium (via). «I put too much passion into it to take so many disappointments. He makes me wonder if my cinema is bad, and I know that it is not ».
Before he was three decades old, Xavier Dolan could already boast of having been an award-winning director at the prestigious Cannes, Venice and Toronto film festivals. Today, he also boasts an extensive acting history—including as a voice actor—and is probably best remembered by Adele fans for directing the “Easy on Me” and “Hello” music videos. However, Dolan currently does not aspire to have more collaborations with the singer, according to what he told The country.
The disenchantment with his profession apparently worsened as a result of his first television experience. The Canadian comes from writing and directing the miniseries The Night Logan Woke Up (2022), a dramatic thriller spoken in French, made up of five episodes and which has suffered very little diffusion, despite the popularity of its creator.
“Why hasn’t anyone else bought it? Because it was shot in French, because it only had five episodes? I have not earned anything with the series, I invested my salary in the production and my father had to lend me money, “Dolan confessed. «It is a very thankless process, I am tired and discouraged. The simplest solution is to direct publicity and build me a house in the country«.
On the other hand, the thirty-year-old still has to shoot a series in English for HBO; project to which he committed himself before the COVID-19 pandemic and which is still in an embryonic state, as he revealed in his recent statements. But that’s as far as his performance as director will go: “I’m going to keep my word and then I’ll leave it.”
Last year, Xavier Dolan already showed his desire to retire, as a result of having lost the need to tell stories.
“I don’t want to do this job anymore. I’m tired. We are in 2022, and the world has changed dramatically. I, in that world, no longer have the need to tell stories,” he commented at the time (via World of Reels). “I want to spend time with my friends and family. I want to shoot commercials and build a house in the country one day, when I have enough money saved. I don’t mean that sadly at all. I just want to live something else, other experiences ».
Antonio G. Spindola I have very bad memory. Out of solidarity with my memories, I choose to lose myself too. Preferably in a movie theater.