by Abhi Parasher
On the 3rd of March 1875, the celebrated French composer Georges Bizet held the opening night to his iconic opera Carmen, which went on to become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in history. Now, nearly 150 years on, revered French dancer and choreographer, Benjamin Millepied, has adapted Bizet’s work into his debut feature film of the same name.
“For years, I had this idea of wanting to lean on a classical tragedy to make my first film,” shares Millepied. “Carmen instinctively attracted me for several reasons. For the passion, the interesting aspect of romantic culture and for the fact that I had seen so many different versions of it as a kid. I also wanted to make a movie that was essentially a drama that incorporated music and dance. You tend to see musicals that are lighter and brighter, where actors sing and dance for no reason. Carmen is a darker film, which was an interesting challenge.”
While Millepied took inspiration from the original opera, his rendition of Carmen is essentially a complete reimagining. In his version, Carmen (Melissa Barrera) flees the Mexican desert and is rescued by Aidan (Paul Mescal). Together, they struggle to evade authorities as they head for Los Angeles.
“The music had to come in early, particularly the songs and dances,” Millepied says about the writing of the drama which incorporates music from Nicholas Britell (Succession). “We had these really strong ideas about when dance is actually important and when it is adding to the narrative. Structurally, these ideas came early on, and we had to commit to them. When you feel strongly about something, whether it is in a ballet or in film, it means there is an energy and a drive to do something you believe in, so you have to stick to it.”
Despite the story world being based in the deserts of North America, Carmen was filmed in Australia and produced by leading Australian production company, Goalpost Pictures (The Sapphires, Top End Wedding, I Am Woman, The Invisible Man).
“Everyone who joined the project, whether it was Rossy (de Palma) from Spain, Melissa from Mexico or Paul from Ireland, all came together because they understood what Ben wanted to do. It was a real United Nations of people who came together on Carmen,” says Goalpost Pictures founding partner Rosemary Blight. “An important part was making sure we were consulting with the community in Australia, who guided us in making sure Broken Hill looked like Mexico.”
“Ben bought together people who were the best in their discipline, from around the world and from Australia. That is what we can do when we do these co-productions,” says Blight. “What this meant was that we got to work with Benjamin, Jörg Widmer (cinematographer) from Germany, and an incredible cast. But it also meant we got to work with Steven Jones-Evans, who is one of the best production designers in our country. The structure of the co-production allowed for that, and I hope we can create the space for these types of films to be made, which are a rarity.”
The logistical challenges of the international co-production were further complicated by the unprecedented restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had everyone locked away in quarantine for the first two weeks, which apparently is not much fun,” laughs Blight. “The real challenge came for Ben, who was rehearsing with dancers for many months. The Sydney Dance Company, when we first met them, were wearing masks while dancing which is quite hard to do,” says Blight.
Millepied, who is an experienced choreographer (he previously choreographed Black Swan) had the additional responsibility of directing actors, something which is quite new to him.
“I had a lot to learn on set. Figuring out how to direct actors, keeping them inspired and surprising them with the kind of tension that maybe wasn’t obvious in the scene.”
With his directorial debut in the can, and a Toronto International Film Festival FIPRESCI nomination to go with it, Millepied has his eyes set on his sophomore film.
“I am writing another film which will take place in Paris. It is not a musical, but it does have a strong composer attached,” shares Millepied. “I am in no hurry to do it; I just want to get it right.”
Carmen is in Australian cinemas now.
