PRESS CONFERENCE - Olivier Assayas: "Once you have the trust of the cast there's no stopping you."

At the press conference for Clouds of Sils Maria the film’s French director Olivier Assayas was joined by cast members Juliette Binoche, Chloé Grace Moretz and Lars Eidinger and producer Charles Gillibert. Read on for the highlights.

Juliette Binoche on Cannes and her outlook on the past:

It’s like a big house party hosted by the press. Actually I don’t think about the past. I’m a big fan of the present. I never know what my next role will be.

On her role: There were no rehearsals for Clouds of Sils Maria. We threw ourselves into the scenes with no safety net. We worked through every take and tweaked what we were doing accordingly. I wanted to give myself entirely to the story, take away the safety net. When the camera isn’t trying to control things but leaves you the space to give your best, it’s fabulous. Olivier and I have known each other for 30 years. Ever since Summer Hours (L’heure d’été) I’ve seen how his style of filming encourages you to abandon yourself. You’re eager to let yourself go.

On getting older:

Imagine playing a 20-year-old when you’re 40. Wouldn’t that be boring? Over the years you’re moulded and shaped by life, like clay. Change is a good thing!

On the advantage of being an actress playing an actress:

We had a great time portraying our world. I know how it works so I didn’t need to do three months of research! And Kirsten had a lot of fun playing the assistant. Kirsten is even more familiar with all that because she lives in that world of the paparazzi.

Olivier Assayas:

It only works with a cast that has that sort of generosity. Once you have the total trust of the cast, there’s no stopping you. We found a way to work without rehearsing. I want to record their first impressions and make that the core of the film.

Olivier Assayas on the mountainous backdrop to the film: I liked the idea of the landscape becoming a character in the film, and of a timeless world where people talked about time. And of course stunning scenery helps make the film!

Lars Eidinger on his role: It was all a bit surreal. I’m a director myself and all of a sudden I found myself acting alongside an all-star cast. I felt a bit like Roger Rabbit: a toon among real people. Working with Juliette was fantastic. She’s not at all self-centred; she’s focused on her partner in the scene, which is so valuable for me as an actor.

Excerpts compiled by Charlotte Pavard