When attending the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Yannick Nézet-Séguin is as excited as he is fulfilled. And for good reason: “Happy Days”, the new film by Chloé Robichaud, of which he was artistic and technical advisor, lives up to the trust that the famous conductor has placed in the project. However, he was a bit hesitant at first, as the main character admits. Beyond the story of a young conductor at the crossroads of professional and personal paths, what exactly did the filmmaker want to say about music, caught between a domineering agent – and father – and an unruly lover? What a beauty, it seems.
“When Chloé approached me, it was initially for research reasons: while she was writing, she asked me a lot of questions one after the other,” explains Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who also worked with Bradley Cooper on his film Maestro this year.
“I knew who she was – Sarah prefers racing – and I thought it was serious, but I was cautious. I wondered where she was going with this. Because actually, part of me was afraid that a scenario about classical music would inevitably be negative. We saw it with Tár or Quartett: It’s always people killing each other. »
However justified they were, the conductor’s fears turned out to be unfounded.
“At some point I realized it wasn’t Chloé’s idea at all. She wanted to express that music can be a source of liberation for a person, that it can help them to free themselves psychologically. I was so touched that from then on all my reserves disappeared. And then the Metropolitan Orchestra [qui apparaît dans le film] And for me, our mission is to make music accessible to as many people as possible, and cinema can certainly contribute to that. And I like that the film shows a young chef, a woman, on the podium. »
Perfect authenticity
As she explains in an interview published ahead of the film’s release, Chloé Robichaud wanted to achieve nothing less than the highest level of authenticity with this perceived homage to classical music. An attitude that Yannick Nézet-Séguin liked.
“No matter what job you do, if someone wants to make a film about it, you want it to be realistic. This commitment from Chloé and Sophie [Desmarais, qui tient le rôle principal d’Emma], I would almost say that it was necessary for me to agree to give up on myself as I did. I think it’s the prerogative of great directors and great actresses to be able to “fake” that level of authenticity in a short amount of time. Sophie worked like crazy: I have nothing but admiration for her. »
In addition to integrating gestures, the actress asked Yannick Nézet-Séguin for books on career theory that she should read. When the second’s professional activity prevented him from continuing, Kensho Watanabe and Nicolas Ellis took over from Sophie Desmarais.
“My own husband, Pierre Tourville, also “coached” Sophie. »
In this case, the task for the actress was doubly complex, since her character must be considered a progression in her practice. To clarify Yannick Nézet-Séguin: “The challenge was not only to persuade, to bluff, but also to show a further development in the mastery of the character.” When Sophie presented herself to the musicians for Mozart or Schönberg, for example, we remembered Chloé remembers that we needed to feel Emma’s nervousness in the way she conducted without implying that she doesn’t know what she’s doing. It was a very difficult balance. This was only possible thanks to Sophie’s intelligence and commitment. »
In order to accurately portray this studious rigidity in which the heroine holds back at the beginning, the actress asked Yannick Nézet-Séguin to orient himself in this way, that is, below his virtuosity, in order to study and then reproduce the result.
“Honestly, it was a fun exercise. You should know that I teach at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and at Domaine Forget in Charlevoix – I come from a family of teachers: my parents, my grandparents, my sister… It’s a core value for me. In short, the lessons force you to stay in touch with all the phases that shape your technique. Deep down, you strive to improve yourself throughout your life. However, in order to improve, sometimes you have to go back to certain basics. It was great to be asked about it by Sophie. And then it is useful to answer all the questions that arise: “Why did you do that with your left hand?” And why did you do that with your right hand?” »
Because by responding, we remember why it matters.
Moving and true work
In addition to his technical expertise, Yannick Nézet-Séguin brought his artistic sensitivity and deep understanding of music to the production. The pieces selected in the film play a key role on the narrative level.
“It was important to match the music well to the flow of the film. For example, when Mahler’s Adagietto is played, it’s a complex sequence of family flashbacks, alternating between Chloé and Sophie in the present…”
This powerful passage represents a pivotal moment for the protagonist, that of a painful but emancipatory enlightenment. It is a sadness and a rebirth at the same time. And it’s the combination of direction, editing, acting and, yes, music that ensures the emotions pour out of the screen.
When Yannick Nézet-Séguin is asked what he thinks of the film, his already beaming face lights up even more.
“I accompanied the development of the film over a long period of time. The first time I saw it in its entirety, finished, how should I put it…? That kind of unspoken thing that’s there in the film, and that’s Chloé, it came to me and gave me a lump in my throat from the first few minutes. I stayed like that until the end. I thought it was so beautiful. The goal I set myself when I agreed to be part of the project, which was to show music as something that can help people break free, even find meaning in their lives, was there, it was in the film. I am very proud to have contributed to such moving work, and that is true. »
The film Happy Days will be released on October 20th.