Denis Villeneuve has helmed what is arguably the most remarkable films of the past decade, and like another distinguished director, Christopher Nolan, he prohibits the same item: mobile phones.
In a discussion with the LA Times, Villeneuve states: “I believe that individuals are managed by algorithms nowadays. We act like AI algorithms. The way we perceive the world is often limited to binary choices. We are becoming detached from one another, and society is unraveling in some respects. It’s alarming.”
The interviewer observes that Villeneuve is looking at his phone while delivering this response, and Villeneuve remarks that there’s “something compulsive about the ability to tap into any information, any song, any book. It’s addictive. It’s akin to a substance.”
For this reason, he, like Nolan, prohibits mobile phones on his film sets. “Cinema is a matter of presence,” he clarifies. “When an artist paints, they must be completely immersed in the colors they are applying to the canvas. This applies to dancers as well when they execute their movements. With a filmmaker, it’s essential to achieve this with a crew, and everyone needs to concentrate and fully engage in the moment, listening to one another and being connected with each other. Thus, phones are prohibited on my set too, from Day One. It’s against the rules. When you call ‘cut,’ you don’t want someone distractedly checking their Facebook account.”
There can often be genuine downtime between takes on a movie set, so it might seem a bit harsh to deny people the chance to unwind by checking their phones; however, I believe he is onto something important. Producing films is a creative journey, and when you separate yourself from that at the moment you should not be contemplating a particular take, you are also preventing your mind from exploring an idea or devising a captivating concept.
Clearly, this technique is effective, as both Nolan and Villeneuve have had films nominated for Oscars – Nolan even secured two thanks to Oppenheimer – and their work is highly esteemed by both audiences and critics alike.
While you may want to catch up on cinema over the holidays, check out our list of the best films