Abdellatif Quotes & Sayings

I wasn't very ambitious as a child. I'm still not. — Fiona Apple

I was very interested in the relationship between the man who speaks and the woman who listens. I was drawn to the idea that the relationship between a man and a woman can be something like a war itself, very cruel and violent. — Antonio Lobo Antunes

When it comes time to make the scenes concrete and shoot them, I want the freedom for it to exist which means adding, subtracting or modifying. — Abdellatif Kechiche

But, after all these years, you're not prepared to swear to anything. This is, in any case, one of the first principles of the conduct which now imposes itself on you and becomes part of your ethics-in-formation. Also perhaps just an acquired deformation -- you are always on the look-out, with a feeling of always being followed, totally alert, watching for the smallest gesture, the least word which might be a prey for the eyes and ears in the walls. Being under close observation creates bizarre reactions. One eventually begins to spy upon oneself, one interiorises suspicion. Watchfulness as a psychic phenomenon is nothing other than this internal splitting. — Abdellatif Laabi

Every day, there's that tension and the pressure. Each scene that you shoot is like getting to that next step, but there's still that mountain to climb. So it's not like one day is harder or one scene is harder. They are all equally challenging. — Abdellatif Kechiche

The importance is getting to something truthful and in that moment can only be in that moment. I don't like to use the word "improvise," but it's a continual writing of the film. — Abdellatif Kechiche

The writing of the script is a continual process. There's the first draft and then many, many re-writes here and there. — Abdellatif Kechiche

I had started out with the intent to make a love story and something not so grave or so dark.So I went into this saying, "I want to do a love story, not to be seen with rose-colored glasses, but not as heavy." As it turned out, it surprised me the place where it led actually was something so painful. I identified so much with them that I experienced a lot of that suffering as well. — Abdellatif Kechiche

My voice is the only material thing in which I can still reveal myself. Go ahead and cut off the hand or the testicles of a voice. Try to find the head of a voice, the orifice through which it passes, or even the breasts to which you can attach the clips of your electrodes. Nothing. Resonant tooth. — Abdellatif Laabi

Listen to the needs of your spirit and start living your life with purpose — Latorria Freeman

I grew up in and identify with and that she works and exists in. — Abdellatif Kechiche

He shook his head sadly. 'What a fool you are. You've wasted your ability searching for something that doesn't exist.'
'When will you realize you don't exist? — Naguib Mahfouz

To use an image, making a film is like climbing a mountain or crossing an ocean. Every day has its challenges. — Abdellatif Kechiche

A windy March is lucky. Every pint of March dust brings a peck of September corn, and a pound of October cotton. — Julia Peterkin

But understand that I want to remain alone, truly alone, so I can precede my face, my voice, my hell without anyone telling me which is the best path, without anyone laughing at the giant's wings and the dwarf's legs that impede my gait. — Abdellatif Laabi

[ Blue is the Warmest Color ] was really a film about two people having to go through a relationship which everyone knew would lead to a breakup and the pain that that entails. Anybody can see that story, what leads to that, and identify with it. As a filmmaker, I wanted to construct this identification process with the characters so that you fully connect to their emotions and what their breakup [represents]. — Abdellatif Kechiche

I have many projects in various states of development. Some are on paper and some are in my head. But as I go on, I feel the need to be guided in my choices. — Abdellatif Kechiche

My film (Black Venus) had been very emotionally draining and difficult because I had identified so much with the lead character, Saartjie Baartman. — Abdellatif Kechiche

What really enthralls me is working with the actor and seeing where you can go with that. It's in that exchange and that relationship. — Abdellatif Kechiche

This film [ Blue is the Warmest Color] actually is the result of me talking with my producer Vincent [Maraval]. I gave him a bunch of ideas and then Vincent helped guide me and develop this particular film. I enjoy that rapport to have somebody else help guide me in my choices for the next film. The poetic way of looking at it is which project is going to choose me as a director. — Abdellatif Kechiche

you know those self-help books that give you permission to love yourself? This one gives you permission to love punctuation. — Lynne Truss

While free markets tend to democratize a society, unfettered capitalism leads invariably to corporate control of government. — Robert Kennedy

In ourselves we harbor the intuition of another evolution, of other possibilities of life. — Abdellatif Laabi

I don't come to work as an actor. There are many directors who can direct without ever having acted and do a great job and connect with their actors and lead them to excellent performances without themselves having had an acting background. — Abdellatif Kechiche