I had the pleasure of speaking with French Producer/ Distributor, Patrick Gimenez whose film “RIF” opened the French With English Subtitles Film Festival. Patrick runs the French Feeling Films, in the states, as well as FM productions in France.
Q. After 24 years of distributing and producing, what still lights your fire in the entertainment business?
A. It’s a career of passion and that’s what still motivates me. not only to become rich, but also to find that which the public will like. The desire to find something which we haven’t yet found. For instance, during the US Gold Rush, they were always trying to discover gold. The job of a producer is to discover that golden nugget.
Q. What response do you hope to get from the American public?
A. The discovery, and another point of view that’s what attracts me to showing a film in 
the US. Although it’s not the same culture, our cultures are very similar. Strangely enough, different countries or cultures can see the same film in a different vein. It’s a different approach, a different vision, a different way of listening, that allows us to evolve. I can talk to them differently. It was great to see a lot of Americans at the screening yesterday; I was happy to know they were not against us. (French Cinema)
A lot of people came up to me during the gala One woman said, “I thought the ending was great”! I was surprised to hear that because it’s not an American ending– Americans usually like happy endings. To have a happy ending in a dark film you need to go as far as possible, the bad guy gets captured etc. I said to her, “Don’t you think it would be good if she were alive in the end, that she was still in the truck and he could save her, so it could be a happy ending?” I saw doubt in her eyes, “I’m not happy that she is dead but it was the right ending.”
This woman had the courage to express herself and I find this extraordinary. I could talk differently with her. She was able to be as spontaneous as we were. When we made the film we had thought why didn’t he save her? This women had the courage to express herself, maybe because she is American and spontaneous.
Q. You’re right, Americans are used to happy endings, but what I liked was that it portrayed real life, and reality is not always happy.
A. It’s true we make films to distract ourselves but it’s different from the news; In the news we say, ok the woman is dead. We don’t show the husband return to see his son with the little cat he wanted. That’s the extra plus the cinema gives us.
Q. You spoke about making a re-make?
A. We are not going to make it ourselves. A producer who saw the film in France 
contacted us to ask if remake rights are available. We are still talking about it.
Q. Is it possible to see the film in the states?
A. Through the markets where films are sold. There could be a buyer who is interested in purchasing the film. The one who is interested in buying the rights is also interested in distributing the film. If it doesn’t open in the theaters, it could also be seen on video. The film we did before “Contre Enquête” is on VOD here.
Q. You also directed?
A. Yes, but just for fun– docu-fictions. I work a lot from my passion—when I fall in love with something. I made a documentary about a famous cartoonist who I loved– Albert Uderzo who made Asterix. I followed him for three months.
Also since I’m always on set to oversee things, I thought it would be fun to shoot the making of this film. You’ll see it when it’s out on DVD.
Q. What criteria do you have when you make a decision to produce or distribute something?
A. If it’s not fun then why do it– it’s like that with all my projects! I don’t have a criteria.. It’s love at first sight. It can be hard work, but with good energy. It’s all about feeling, a good contact with the script, the actors, the crew, it all has to feel good. It’s a hard business, if on top of that you don’t feel good, it’s not worth it. In Miami I chose a film which I liked moderately, but I thought it would be good for Miami, and I was right, the public loved it.. they were hysterical at the end.
Q. Is it more common to have a sad ending in France?
A. I don’t think that is the case. It’s the script, if it’s well written and you are really in the story, it doesn’t matter. I think there are good films and bad films. Doesn’t matter how it finishes. Sometimes when watching, I don’t want to think about the film while I’m watching it, I want to experience the moment and then reflect.
I didn’t feel the time pass when I watched the film. I was at the edge of my seat throughout– especially at the end.
Q. Which type of ending would you have preferred?
A. I like happy endings because I like positive things. But I think the ending of the film was the correct one because it makes people aware of the reality of life and with awareness there can be change.
That’s why we put the “statistics” at the end.
Q What are you working on now?
A. I have 10 scripts in development. Three that we are getting ready to shoot: A romantic drama, a war movie, a personal psychological story. We will shoot this summer in Morocco. The third is a romance that we’ll be shooting in Paris, Brittany, and the South of France, similar to Notting Hill.
Q Any in English?
A. I have a good script in English.. I’ve been fighting to make it here, its like “Gangs of NY” between the Irish and the Italians. A 1930 period piece which is very expensive and it takes a long time to make. The script is almost done. Most films usually have men as the main character–the main character in this is a woman..
Q. Did a woman write it?
A. No, it’s a purely guy production. With a woman in the lead it’s more difficult, no one thinks of a woman in this role– it’s hard to keep her femininity as well as her strength. She has a gun, she carries it like a woman, even if she uses it like a man. Our greatest challenge is to keep her real–feminine, heels etc.– a tough process, not too feminine, not too masculine. With a difficult ending, the fact that she is a woman, makes it even harder to digest. That’s what we want, to have an ending as if she were a man.
Q. Who is the writer?
A. The director wrote it, I just give him notes.
Q. Who is the director?
A. Bernard Rosali, it’s his first movie, he was an actor first. He sent me the idea three years ago. It’s almost ready to start casting, then once we find our cast, we’ll work on the script again right before starting production.
We are looking forward to seeing more of Patrick’s Films here in New York..
Written by Judi Beecher international actress and film maker and journalist.
