Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of GO AGAINST:
Matthew Toffolo interviews Directoed Nora Burlet:
1. What motivated you to make this film?
This story came out of a picture. I was in the South of France, lying on a deck chair and wearing sunglasses. I was reading an article about an actress (I don’t remember her name) who told the story of her first runaway when she was 17. She left her home with a friend of her to going to Spain. I had this picture of these two young girls who were runing away from her school, driving fast with the music outload. I found that image very beautiful. I kept that picture in my head, with the fantasy of making a film out of it. So here I am, writing the very first lines of this script under the sun of vacation.
My first desire was to show this furious energy of the youth who doesn’t know what to do with it. Talking about the teenage dream which is impossible to live. This lust for life. However, as the writing process goes by, the main theme appears : the fusional friendships of teenagers.
At this age, you’re building your identity through the look of others and by comparing your choices with their own. I’ve been living those things, and I observe it today.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Less or more than a year.
3. Talk about your cast: The main performances were terrific. Where did you find these girls? And was type of rehearsals did you do?
The casting process were very long.
I’ve been looking for young girls who were in the top of their youth and who were closed to my characters. After many encounters, I finaly selected Lou Bohringer and Nina Lombardo, even though they doesn’t have the age of their characters. I was looking for their kind of energy.
I met the actresses three weeks before the shooting. We started to work very lately. We’ve seen each other many times to discuss about the characters. We exchanged movies, musics, drawings… Anything that can feed their imagination.
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Cold. We’ve been shooting in the middle of January, at the edge of a country road. It was frozen. The entire crew were suffering, and I was wishing just one thing : the snow.
Finaly the snow never came and the cold doesn’t appear on the screen.
5. How did you find the locations in your film?
We’ve been shooting at Chaumont-Gistoux, ai the countryside by Brabant Wallon, near to Bruxelles in Belgium. It’s been a real pleasure to spotting for the film : we’ve been driving hours through the countryside, listening music while we were looking for this american road look alike. It is one of my nicest memories of this shooting.
6. What were your initial reactions when watching the Toronto audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
When I got your mail, I didn’t watch the video right away. I send it to a friend of mine for him to translate the video’s contents. When I got his translation, I watched the video several times. I found some of my intentions in the audience reactions. In a certain way, I think I succeeded in telling my story. It’s amazing what audience members see in my movie. You can’t control everything when you’re making a movie, so everyone is able to see whatever they want in the final result. And that’s a good thing.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
I don’t have any idea.
8. What is next for you? A new film ?
For a year ago, I’ve been writing a new script for a short film that’s going to talk about the same themes, but in a much darker way. I am also working in movie business, on sets and as a casting director. Today, I’d like to move and to travel a little.
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Matthew Toffolo's Summary 