Interview with Pauline Loquès, Nino director

Interview with Pauline Loquès 

A few years ago, I lost a loved one, a young man taken by cancer. Devastated by sadness and anger, I turned to writing to reclaim hope. I needed to reinvent the story, to save a character. Nino came to me suddenly, like love at first sight on a street corner. I grew fond of this hesitant, loosely defined boy and I followed him as he wandered. I quickly understood that it wouldn’t be the story of someone struck down in the prime of life, but that of a floating young man, who would be propelled in life through the announcement of a serious illness. I chose a short timeframe - three days - between the diagnosis of cancer and the start of the treatment. I absolutely adore chronicles in film, and I was very curious to explore what could happen in that “dead time” between these two major events. There are still days and nights to be lived, so how does one get through them? How does one live through the ordinary in an extraordinary moment of one’s life? 

The film is set in Paris - but it is nothing like a postcard image! I wanted to show this city that is constantly changing, almost in real time. Paris is perpetually under construction, a bit like existence: walls to tear down, gaps to fill, new spaces to create. I also wanted to show a city that is much bigger than oneself, that never adapts to what we are going through. When Nino gets the news, for him it’s like everything comes suddenly to a standstill, but the city’s rhythm doesn’t stop, neither does its bustle. It reminds him that he is but one life among many, that others have their own problems, big and small, and that he will have to go on and make do. If he could have, I think Nino would have spent those three days alone, under the covers… Locked out of his flat, he is forced to wander through the city where he cannot be alone. Wherever he goes, there will always be someone a few meters away - for better or for worse. 

I was so attached to my character while writing that I worried I wouldn’t be able to find an actor I could feel the same affection for. The casting director, Youna de Peretti, had the very strong instinct that I had to meet Théodore, whom I didn’t know at all, despite his career in North America. And she was right, because it was love at first sight - just like Nino! Beyond being a formidable actor, a genius of his craft, Théodore is unbelievably delicate, naturally modest, and truly vulnerable, which contrasts with his majestic looks… he is spellbinding without ever seeking to be, which explains why we follow his every move for an hour and thirty minutes. I surrounded him with young actors and actresses who are sensitive, distinctive, and… kind! Salomé Dewaels, William Lebghil, Camille Rutherford all said the same thing after reading the script: “Nino is really touching…” They have been very generous, and sought first and foremost to meet and assist this character on his journey. To play Nino’s mother, Jeanne Balibar was an obvious choice. She has both this teenage mischievous quality and great wisdom about her. She conveys the richness of a mother-son relationship in very few scenes. While this mysterious and quirky character Nino meets by chance, I kept telling my casting director: “I need a Mathieu Amalric type!” But he is so unique that we ended up asking him… I was very lucky that Jeanne and Mathieu accepted to take part in my film. They are everything I love about cinema: the passion for acting, humility and freedom in their craft, and boundless curiosity for stories and characters.