Interview with Lieven Debrauwer Handelsonderwijs Burgerschool

Lieven Debrauwer, born and bred in Roeselare is gradually winning his spurs in the world of cinema. After his short movie 'Leonie' won an award in Cannes, he was asked to do ‘something’ about the poet Gezelle It has become a homage to Guido Gezelle. His movie 'Dichten… wat is dichten dan?' stands surety for an impressive cast. Delphine Dewulf and Laurent Tytgat had the following talk with him.

Op de set van "Dichten... Wat is dichten dan?" (foto Norbert Maes)

At the end of November you received a ‘Fonske’, a kind of an Oscar for the emanation you give to the Flemish cultural inheritance. What’s your reaction to this?

LD: It’s of course all very nice if this happens at such a young age. You are always a bit on your own, and all along you feel a lot of insecurity and lack of self-confidence. If you then get some recognition for representing the Flemish country, that’s encouraging.

Is that award a reward for your Gezelle-movie?

LD: Not really. That ‘Fonske’, was only for the emanation of Leonie. Back here in Flanders, everybody was happy because Leonie had done so well in Cannes.

How did you get the idea to make a movie about Guido Gezelle?
Were you familiar with this poet in secondary school?

LD: Only sporadically, just like you I think. I knew a few quotations from his work, but that was it. When I did my first year in the Klein Seminarie, I once had to learn Boerke Naas by heart. And I can still remember that I have recited it once more many years later. But that’s all I can remember, except that I used to pass by his statue when I was walking to school. After the festival of Cannes I was invited by the municipality of Roeselare. They asked me to do something with Gezelle. I received full support to make a movie and got in touch with some people who knew more about Gezelle.

Is your movie also a homage to Gezelle?

LD: Absolutely. It had to be a movie with respect for his work and his person. That's why I’ve talked to people who know and understand the work of Gezelle better than I do, and who could explain the real essence of the poems that I wanted to use. In this context I think the movie is definitely in favour of Guido Gezelle.

What's the main value of Guido Gezelle to you?

LD: His value lies especially, in what he was best at: playing with sounds. If he describes birds, he imitates their sounds with words.

Apparently, the actors were very keen to play in your movie. How do you explain that?

LD: I sent them the script and they all told me it was beautiful. I think it's because I don't just use poems, but because I have characters acting out the poem. It is very nice for an actor that he doesn't just have to recite, but that he can play a character who for obvious reasons claerly likes the poem. Some parts were even made for a certain actor. There were a few parts that I was not quite sure about, but finallly I have always unravelled the knot.

Why do you choose for certain actors? Why did you choose for Chris Lomme for instance, and nobody else?

LD: It is very important that I can work with people who I have seen acting before and who I like. I intend to shoot a long movie with Chris Lomme, and that's why I find it interesting to have done something with her in a smaller project. I think she's a wonderful actress. I have made two movies with Dora van der Groen so far.She’s also brilliant in her part. For the rest I looked for actors who could perform as good as possible. Senne Rouffaer was the perfect fit for a character I had in mind. On top of that, Senne Rouffaer is also an admirer of Gezelle. A number of actors were really glad to contribute in this project about Guido Gezelle.Tine Ruysschaert was very thankful to act in the movie as a person recording a CD with Gezelle poems (which she actually is).

Op de set van "Dichten... Wat is dichten dan?" (foto Norbert Maes)

For the music you chose for Will Ferdy?

LD: One track of Will Ferdy occurs in it, but Marc Maes composed the music for the movie. He also wrote two parts for a harp. I have also asked Willem Vermandere to put music on a piece of Guido Gezelle. He did so in his own special way. I thought that I had to bring music that was popular - I think Will Ferdy is - but some people didn't really agree with me.

Did you write the script yourself?

LD: I did. It arose from a selection of poems, which I wanted to do something with. I decided on this in consultation with Professor Johan van Iseghem, an authority in the field, and Michiel De Bruyne, a historian from Roeselare who told me quite a few interesting stories.

Why did you choose for a short movie?

LD: I make a movie and until now it has always been a short movie. It just happens spontaneously. If you really choose for a short movie, then it's because you think you can't fascinate your audience for more than half an hour. That's why you keep it short: 18 minutes. On the other hand there is also a financial reason. If you make a long movie, it easily involves a budget of more than 40 milion and that's not a realistic proposition.

Where exactly did you shoot your film?

LD: Mainly in Roeselare itself. The idea that we would film in the town where Gezelle had spent an important period in his life, and the fact that the we were largely sponsered by Roeselare played an important role. Practically speaking it's better to concentrate the shots in one town ore one location. For artistic reasons, we went to the KULAK in Kortrijk, to a tobacconist in Wevelgem and to a soundstudio in Zedelgem.

When will the movie be released?

LD: Dichten…wat is dichten dan? is premiered on the 24th of February in the cultural centre De Spil in Roeselare. On Wednesday, the 3rd of March, there’s a second showing for the big public.