Christophe Gans Silent Hill 2 Interview Translated

Posted by Spider on January 1, 2007 in Cinema, General News | ∞

We took it upon ourselves to use our highly sophisticated translation software to translate the latest French interview with Christophe Gans, the director of Silent Hill the movie. This is about the best we can get without kidnapping a French person and threatening them to do it.

Here is what we got:

We are on December 5, two days before the output of Silent Hill in DVD. It is in the small room of assembly of Video HK in the buildings of Metropolitan that this interview of the realizer of Silent Hill will have taken place, Christophe Gans. “I am not badly the forums. People have many ideas preconceived on the market of
the video, the cinema, the design of films. It is not malicious, it is even amusing but they are very far from the truth which is often much less glamour or much mythical that what they would like to believe. One thus will have not badly points to approach!”. Remarks which summarize well what will follow: 2h46 of recording, several hours of retranscriptions, wire one or two blows for additional questions, and some aller/retour by mall for still adding a layer of it. One needed that well to interview one impassioned of cinema and DVD which has enormously to tell. De Silent Hill in Onimusha, her next film, while reconsidering the dead time which separated the outputs from the Pact of the Wolves to its following film (six years), the remarks which follow traverse all the adventure of film, front, during and
after…

For obvious reasons length, this interview will be published in two parts.

PART 1: SILENT HILL, THE FILM AND THE DVD: The BACK OF the DECOR Beaucoup did not understand that zone 2 of Silent Hill does not bring enormously of additional no-claims bonus compared to zone 1 for example. The explanation is in fact rather simple. The film was finished ten days exactly before the output in the American rooms, which took place itself ten days before the French distribution. The film contains very exactly 756 plans of special effects, and like the majority of films rich in SFX, it was finished at the last time. I make a point of saying it, that does not have anything exceptional. But was needed that the effects satisfy us, I, my assembler Sebastien Prangère and my producer Andrew Mason. This last was not an only producer of Matrix, he had been a also director of the special effects on The Crow and Dark City, and he thus has a good knowledge on the matter. With us three, we had a very precise idea of the standard of quality which we want to reach, according of course to the 4 million dollars reserved in the budget with the SFX….

4 Million dollars for the special effects?? It is all? It is nevertheless much better than the 300.000 Euros for the effects of the Pact of the Wolves! (laughter) Toujours is it that we worked until the last moment, and that it was impossible for us to concentrate us on the creation of no-claims bonus. People know well that Sebastien Prangère – who supervised the supplements of all my DVD – and myself, we know to make editions collector worthy of this name. One likes that, one is fans of DVD, one is fétichos support. But we did not have time… Because once the left film, our work was not finished: by contract we were to deliver the video elements such as the copy “side and scannée” for the commercial chains, another with the format 1:77 for future diffusions HD, a censured version (which will undoubtedly pass never nowhere – it lasts less than 80!)… minutes On a more positive level, we benefitted from it to improve certain plans of special effects and to introduce them into the video master! With final they are not four months only we had before the output from the American DVD, but two at most. And for a film like Silent Hill, it takes time: one speaks about a film with a mythological background, which is the adaptation of another media… There is thus a colossal leading work to provide for an edition collector worthy of this name. It was materially impossible to arrive there…

In addition to the factor time, my other problem was the bad memory which I had kept of the DVD collector Pact of the Wolves. StudioCanal had wanted to very quickly leave an edition collector with which I was not entirely satisfied. It was the edition 3 discs with this pseudo cover leather which I had found poor. For me truth collector of the Pact indeed was the edition 4 discs left one year later, after the preceding one was exhausted. It presented a very pretty packaging - lenticular cover and solid binding – which had been carried out inside even structure HK by my collaborator Paola Boileau (note, it is also occupied of the jackets and menus of the DVD HK, after having been a long time in load of the model of HK Magazine). But people took this new edition like a way hardly dissimulated to peel wool to them on the back. I includes/understands them: they had bought an edition 3 DVD, and suddenly it was said to them that truth collector was that which contained 4 of them!! To avoid reproducing that, I decided that the edition zone 2 proposes only the already existing film and no-claims bonus in Z1. All that I allowed myself, it is to optimize the transfer with a new calibration and by distributing the contents on two discs. A point it is all. The collector of Silent Hill will exist one day, but not before a long time. I leave to prepare and to make my next film, Onimusha, and I would occupy myself of this Silent Hill collector only with my return. I.e. not before two and half-three years.

What happen does the documentary one one hour present on the DVD? It is a “making of” promotional type. It was carried out by a team of Sony-Tri-Star (the American distributor) before even the end of the post-production: it is for that that there is nothing on the optical effects of film, since they did not exist yet! This making of thus concentrates on the effects carried out with same the plate, like the creatures, their choreographies, the decorations, the architecture of the world of Silent Hill, etc. For me, it acts of a testimony interesting but cut down by a large part of what makes the characteristic of film.

You think of using the possibilities of the new formats High definition? (the HD-DVD, Blu-Ray) It is indeed a third valid reason to push back the collector. We are during one a little odd time currently: we have a foot in the past, the low DVD def’, and a foot or rather three toes, in the future, the HD. (he is irritated) In this
moment, the films leave in a disordered way, often gathered pêle-mixes in enormous boxes… I will add that the neat editions became extremely rare. There are some exceptions well, like King Kong. But it is only because Peter Jackson is on the bridge. The truth should be said: the DVD which leave today to the United States to
tended flow are infinitely less beautiful than those which left there is 3-4 years. And this, because the editors do not think any more that to lock their catalogue. The other day I bought a DVD importation containing three films with Randolph Scott, including two very beautiful signed André De Toth: the three full-length films are on same wafer, without subtitles, anything. And it is Warner who leaves that?! They had hitherto never published DVD without subtitles, French or English. All that for saying that to leave a DVD looked after in such a market, rhyme more with nothing. There it is to be better fixed on the arrival of high the déf’ and the way in which one will again be able to make “sexy” a video edition, and to propose at this time the collector of Silent Hill, perhaps in bundle DVD/DVD HD. Ca will be better than to precipitate to propose a trick with half cooked.

You saw Blu-Ray de Silent Hill left in importation? Not. Moreover I did not have any right of glance on the American DVD, which I find personally pitiful. I think that you were really very nice on Dvdrama with this Z1 edition. The jacket is dreadful, the way in which compression was treated is absolutely disastrous, and the master high déf was more or less bidouillé to carry out a master low déf a little grisouille (note, indeed a DVD is always carried out starting from a master low déf itself drawn from high a déf). It is a current error today: one works master HD without being concerned with what that will give into low def’ on DVD. For zone 2 of Silent Hill, I preferred to draw a master immediately low déf and to work to leave. It is for that that the result is impec’ (laughter)! I held account of the limits of the DVD and optimized returned without taking the least risk. On the whole we spent eight days full on the calibration – and it is much since in general a DVD is made in only one day maximum! After each session, I made masteriser the result, and requested so that a DVD of control be drawn so that I can view it on several screens. And then only I carried my corrections. Ca returned everyone nutcase… But I swear you that it is the only manner of arriving there. I always did that for my films.

But do all the realizers have the means of supervising kind their DVD? Not. Fortunately for me, I work at Metropolitan, the company of Samuel Hadida, where I have white card. One should not throw the stone with the poor scenario writers with which one removes their baby to make bad DVD of them: they are not protected as I am it. I have much chance. It is not that I would be more perfectionist than another. The realizers all should have this kind of control on their film. But it is not the case…

It is a little what arrived to Pascal Laugier on St Angel at ARP (and product by Gans, note) God knows that its film is beautiful! And yet Pascal did not have the occasion to control his DVD. Such sign that the edition of St Angel left in Canada is much better than the Frenchwoman: she contains the two versions of film (each scene was turned in English and French, note) on two DVD, accompanied by supplements which do not exist on the French edition, of which cut scenes. I.e. how if people want to have St Angel in a true edition, it is necessary that they turn to “House of Voices” – it is its title in the USA! A beautiful proof that the job was not made
correctly on our premises.

At the same time it is not a surprise coming from ARP… Each one its design of the video edition. Personally I always prefer to see a film in rooms, but it video the true life of a film represents. The passage in rooms is right one moment of “prestige”. Today a film exists initially and especially about the screens plasma of our living rooms, one knows it all. To work à.fond on the video master is a guarantee for me that the film will be seen with the height of what I hoped for for the public.

In had comparison, you passed how much days on the calibration of the Pact of the Wolves? More or less a week, like Silent Hill. At the same time, it was very different since for the Pact of the Wolves, I have entirely remakes the colors. It should be known that I am responsible for the calibration of my the last two films, for the room as for the video. With each time, daN Lausten, my operator boss, was not available any more, it had already left on another turning. I thus have a good knowledge of the chromatic balance of my films, and I like to occupy myself of it…

What could one find on the DVD collector of Silent Hill? What I would like to explore, they is obviously the relations between the universe of the play and that of film, and also all that led us, Akira Yamaoka and me, with our choices for this adaptation. I worked hand in the hand with him. It very checked, as of the writing of script. I would really like to speak about that, because it is important to return in César what belongs to César. What impassioned me personally is to transpose not only this universe but especially its structure of video game. Ca made a long time that I thought of it, and they was enthralling to do it with for support noble “and innovative play also a”. But on the strict artistic level, I was held with my role of illustrator. I applied so that one finds on the screen textures, the hues, the visual aspect of the play. When I speak in my interviews about contemporary art in connection with Silent Hill, it is never without omitting that this ambition was already present in the play! It is not a lucky find of my share, it was the intention of Akira Yamaoka and Silent TEAM. In fact I would like to reconstitute the route that one had jointly to build this film. Many stories are attached there. For example it was vital for Yamaoka which the film is made insofar as Silent Hill 5 had not received green light. As each one knows, the budgets of the plays vidéos did not cease growing bigger, and the imminence of film could convince Konami to financially validate fifth Silent Hill.

There are thus many things to say which concern at the same time the mythology of Silent Hill, but also of its commercial viability. The play has much success in the Anglo-Saxon countries, like the United States and England, or in Germany. But it should be known that it was hardly sold a few thousands in France of them… just like in Japan where Silent Hill does not have any commercial viability! It is a play very esoteric for much of people…

Which was the commercial success of film throughout the world, and in particular in Japan? There were two disappointing markets, Germany and Japan, for a very simple reason: Silent Hill left vis-a-vis to Impossible Mission 3 and Hackers the Caribbean 2. One was literally crushed, and due, we touched the same public, rather young. But on the whole of the world the film went well. It piled up hundred million dollars, which was our objective, taking into account the receipts of the other adaptations of video games and in particular both Résident Evil that Samuel Hadida had by-product besides…. The financial arrangement of a film as Silent Hill is a little particular: one cannot analyze the receipts of Silent Hill as one would analyze those of Impossible Mission 3 for example. My film was sold territory by territory, and to judge its success, it is necessary to analyze its receipts locally. Where it made a true paperboard, it is in the United States. The film was acquired for 14 million dollars by Tristar. And it is all. They never added a pecos. Its score in rooms bordered the 50 million dollars, for which it is necessary to add 30 million hiring of DVD and 30 other million sale. For a setting of 14, it is really very well! I will specify that the promotional expenditure rose to 25 million. There will be thus indeed Silent
Hill 2: it was officially ordered, it is well on the way. Once that it will have finished its adaptation of the play Driver, Roger Avary goes floor above, helped by its pal Neil Gaiman.

Were Roger Avary and Samuel Hadida the success of Silent Hill gained in advance? Not, at all. I am rather content because it is one of large successes of the year as regards film of horror, the third exactly in term of world receipts, just after Saw 3 and the Curse. I will add that normally they are films for banked-up bed, of the
continuations or the remakes which meet such a success. However Silent Hill is an odd film, halfway between the SF, the books of Cleaves Barker and the horror hardcore… I was helped by the incredible confidence which not only the producers of film but also people of Sony-Tristar lavished to me.

They nevertheless asked you to add the scenes with the husband interpreted by Sean Bean… Indeed: in the script of origin, the husband appeared only only at the beginning and the end. But the executives ones were really afraid to make a film without male element. To comfort them, I added the scenes with Sean Bean. Even if I
like much that where his wife and it cross in two different dimensions, I never found these scenes very useful. I knew that they would add a mass of information and explanations which could parasitize the pure oneiric environment of film. When I looked at completed film, I realized that these scenes had creates an additional
problem: by their alternation of days and nights, these additions upset the “subjective” time of film. From now on, for the public, the action did not proceed any more over one day, but on three! The film had been written and designed by Roger Avary like an episode of Twilight Zone, i.e. on a concise and collected mode. By adding fat to him, we unbalanced it. As Tristar was limited to test in-house film, without never showing it to people external with the studio, nobody anticipated this problem. It is only after the output of the film which one all carried out that it would have better been to release these scenes and to keep them for the DVD!

Were these scenes decided during or before turning? Front, still happy! Sean Bean was engaged very quickly, it arrived the day before of the turning, coldly unloaded of another film. All went very quickly and we did not really have time to reflect on these scenes. Moreover when I assembled film, I continued to rewrite certain elements which I did not find formidable. As Sean had turned only five days and owed of them us three more per contract, I benefitted from it to turn over plans with him, on a faster rate/rhythm. As this phone call in the car which replaces a scene with an archivist. From all this mic mac, I withdraw that a film of horror should not last 2h05!! (laughter). The kind is satisfied very well with 105mns, and Silent Hill should have had this duration…

Wasn’t the studio aware of this problem of duration? Not, they do not reason like that. People of the studios are very nice most of the time. But their vision of the public is exclusively demographic: it is necessary that the young white are content, that the young blacks are content, that the girls are content, that the young men are content, etc etc. I.e. that they build a film by adding the public ones and not while referring to a total public. Look at Infiltrated of Scorsese: does the film last 45mns moreover than the version of Hong Kong who was perfect, and why that? Obviously because they wanted to develop the character of the girl. Without that, the only female characters of film would be whores! One imagines the embarrassment of the executives ones! Ca goes like that to the United States and one must yield there. But in my case it is not a great sacrifice compared with freedom that I had. They have me foutu a royal peace.

I believed to understand that the studio had not made you almost any comment on your first assembly… The first time that one presented film at the studio, I expected to receive ten pages of notes. At least. With final, I had one comment in connection with the Irish of Sean Bean and Australian accents of Radha Mitchell which had tendency to getting along too much in three scenes. And it was all. Samuel Hadida and Andrew Mason were deafened: they had never seen that! Samuel had just produced a film of Tony Scott, domino, and they had been caught tens of pages of notes. Whereas for Silent Hill, which is a product apparently more “hardware edge”, nothing. Good, honestly I think that the studio liked really film, but that in more they had a date of well defined output, that they did not want to miss to in no case. By asking me too many changes, they could compromise this output. And then the film had not cost them which 14 million…

And how did the passage occur before the commission from censure? Too much well! It was almost for me a disappointment! My producer, Samuel Hadida, was very afraid of some scenes of film, in particular that of died of Cybil, the woman-cop. I wanted for this scene an unforgettable effect which shows without turning a person to roast alive on one to rough-hew. I wanted absolutely to avoid the use of a mannequin. One thus worked much with the technicians of Buf, the studio of French special effects, to recreate on the images of the actress the effect of a chicken which turns on its pin. When Samuel saw the scene, it was terrified: “Ca will never pass, one is in the shit…”. And then there was also écorchage of Anna, the rape of Christabella by barbed wires… One nevertheless presented film just as it is with the Canadian censure… and the return was surprising. The commission judged the violence of “acceptable” film…. And this for three reasons: the account does not occur in the real world (laughter), it is the edifying history of a woman who seeks to save her daughter, and there is no weapon with fire. Lastly, there is a weapon with fire well, but it is not used for nothing. While following these three principles, we had traced ourselves a royal voice without very giving an account of it to us. Thereafter, the film was interdict with less than 14 years in England, whereas over there anything is interdict with less than 18… And with less than 12 in France. The cherry on the cake!

Thus today in a film, one can roast a woman, violate another with barbed wires and open it of them into two in the direction length, since that does not occur in reality or that there is no firearm! It is well the proof that the censure is not used for nothing, that it is completely absurd. Such an amount of better for us! I believe that to final film was crossed only to Singapore, for reasons of religion, but it is all. This level, Silent Hill knew a kind of state of grace. Obviously that made a little smile when one sees the problems to which has just run up Saw 3…

The election time is favourable with the censure… Completely. Parliamentary discussions are already open about the cinema and of the video game. Most optimistic will say to you that that will allow refonder a true counter-culture. The others that one will turn over to clandestinity, which one will do soon without films or the plays under the coat… Though it is, one moves towards a tightening of the censure to France. What arrived at Saw 3 is a harbinger. Benefit all from Schizophrenia with 20h30 on Cine Cinéma, bus in little time it will be right a good memory…

There was no scene cut on Silent Hill? In fact it misses a scene which I did not integrate in the assembly. It is a scene in the church, which intervened just after the light returned, Christabella came to speak with the two foreign ones. This scene made doubled bloom with that close to the organ, on the mezzanine of the church. It is the only scene which be isolated with the assembly.

However in the making-of of the DVD, one sees another scene which is not in film: an attack of the monster without arm in the city. Indeed, but really it is not a question of a cut scene. It is much more complicated than that… As you know it, I chose for the monsters of Silent Hill to have recourse to old techniques: the monsters all are played by dancers in costumes, filmed with back or variable speeds to obtain the gestural odd ones. As a whole, it went very well. One nevertheless wiped some plasters on a creature in particular: the man-trunk precisely. Several weeks before turning the scene where Cybil cuts down one of them on the road, we had turned another meeting with a man-trunk in front of the hotel of Silent Hill. Wounded, the creature was then put to crawl under a car as an insect with which
one would have crushed three legs, for finally disappearing in a mouth from sewer. This sequence was indeed filmed. But like we had a time of rather reduced turning (note: 60 days!), I had asked the second team to turn the inserts where the creature crawls by ground. All had been regulated in advance with my choreographer, Roberto Campanella, but this day the Canadian producer wanted to make economies and the choreographer remained at his place! The poor second team found itself
with the mission of making evolve/move the creature by ground, by imagining how to make. During one half-day, they trailed the man-trunk lengthened on a skate-board, on a large plywood painted in green by thinking that it would be seen how to make move the legs later. When I saw the rushes, I was catastrophé: it was not at all what I had provided. I thus required so that it be turned over. This day my tone did not please the Canadian producer and us almost came from there to the hands. Deprived of budgetary extension, this scene passed to the losses and profits.

When I turned much later the continuation of this sequence, I rewrote the scene so that the girls return directly in the hotel, attracted by the cries coming from the interior, without never meeting the creature. In short the scene which one sees in the making-of does not have today any more its place in film. It was cut because it was never finished. All that because a producer wanted to save a few hundreds of dollars to be made foam…

There were other problems of the same kind during turning? There was only that. But nothing abnormal, it is the batch of any turning where the special effects are permanent. Many elements and concepts were given up or modified in the course of road. Perhaps that you will see one day the original story-boards film and you will note that the end also was completely modified. With the origin, the revenge on Alessa took a very different turn. When Christabella stabbed Rose, darkness left the wound and created a large black pond, almost a swimming pool, whose six Pyramids emerged, each one carrying a different weapon. Ca resembled a little an animated drawing of Yoshiaki Kawajiri (note: the realizer of Scroll Ninja). The six Pyramids massacred people in the church, in a kind of homage to the hell of Dante. They spit them by three, cut them in the direction length… It was very goûtu!

Why you did not turn this end? The end of film had been pushed back at the end of turning. Following delays of planning, driven out days and recoveries of overtime, I found myself with only one day and half of turning to loop film. People of the insurance company which covered film, were on the plate to control the “good end” of turning. Obviously they wondered how we were going to be able shooter the final one in assigned time. One day, during a meal in the presence of the producers, they asked me frankly if I thought of being able to turn the final scene in one day and half. I answered that it was not possible. As I had one Pyramid at my disposal, I would have been obliged to film it several times with a different weapon to be able to multiply it in post-production. Add that to the management of crowd and large decoration, this scene required at least a week of turning! They said to me: “It is very simple, Mr. Gans. You have one week to return with a new end. We do not even want that you try to turn this scene “. Obviously the producers, who held much with this final, drew a mug not possible.

My story-boardor, Thierry Ségur, had set out again in France and we communicated by webcam. It is while discussing with him that I had an idea: “Listening, one will go to simplest. One will remake Legend Of The Overfiend!” I still remember his great burst of laughter… Urotsukidoji (its Japanese title) is a Japanese animated drawing ultraviolent of which we are both of very large fans. In any case, it was the good idea: in one day and half I was satisfied to film plans very broad where the fanatics attacked by Alessa move in a very simple way. I knew that the tentacles would ensure the continuity of a plan the other. The problem of the setting in scene was to some extent pushed back with the post-production. With my assembler, Sebastien Prangère, we even used plans of Legend Of The Overfiend, to supplement the assembly. There are two inserts on tentacles which are besides exact transfers of plans of the animated drawing! Take the first OAV of Legend Of The Overfiend, the scene where a démoniaque teacher violates one of his pupils with tentacles, and compare. You will see! (laughter)

Put aside for this end carried out in the urgency, one notes an enormous difference with the Pact of the wolves: the absence of references. Was this because Silent Hill, the play, was already a sufficient reference? Partly, yes. But the principal reason comes from the attention which I lend to criticisms and in particular to those that I received at the time of the output of the Pact of the Wolves. With my direction, it always of truth in criticisms there, even most badly stated something. Of course the higher bid of references is the most notorious criticism of the Pact of the Wolves. To tell the truth it was the project even film: to pay a great homage to the Italian popular cinema of the Sixties. But when I attacked Silent Hill, I wanted to hold account of these reproaches: in the Pact of the wolves, there were too many references, but also too many idles, too many dissolves, of melted with the black, etc. OK, included/understood! With Sebastien Prangère, we thus débarassé Silent Hill of all these effects. There is one idle in film and it is unperceivable. There are no dissolves, and in the same way I tried to gum all the cinematographic references, for rather fixing me on references to the contemporary art. They were already in the play, but they enabled me to show another as of the my centers of personal interests. Obviously one found already references pictorial in the Pact of the Wolves, in particular with the German painting of the 19th century. There but I could go à.fond on Silent Hill and pay homage to Dali, Bellmer, Francis Bacon, Jean Cocteau, Giacometti…

As old a critic of cinema, you thus accept the rule of the game of criticism on your films? Completely. My friends of which some are realizers are rather admiring of my capacity to box criticisms, whereas they live them very badly. A bad criticism, and their day is foutue, they make the mouth. Some share this report/ratio with criticism enables me best to live my passion. I make a point of reading criticisms to analyze them, to include/understand them. And I often find true inside. There will be always criticisms which I would refute, as those which reproach my films for being too aesthetic. Afflicted, but it is my cinema! I will not make rotted films, with vague plans, badly faggoted, because there are people who find my films too aesthetic. On the other hand when me am shown mannerisms, failures, to do too much movement of camera, etc, I find that interesting. And for my next film, I would hold account of criticisms that I had on Silent Hill. Include/understand, it is to me my only reference… If I listened to exclusively those which, forgiveness to be vulgar, lick me the seam of the testicles, I could not advance. Criticisms, it is what enables me to think that I have still path to make. I like that.

You began your self-criticism of Silent Hill? Of course, as of the end of turning. By seeing the rushes, one begins his self-criticism immediately. For example I entêté myself to make a fantastic film built mainly on the concepts and the atmosphere. It was my idea of fantastic “noble”. Today I regret having been too demanding. I should have sent some effects of fear felt well in the gums of the spectator, and me would have been released the bunch. It had become a kind of recurring gag on the plate, where regularly the producers came to see me while saying “But whore, make so that the gate snap bruyamment there!”. And me: “Not, not, not! People are not idiots!”. I draped myself in my design of the fantastic one, and it is not that of everyone. The film of horror in this moment is a kind enough reactionary: there is right to many slashers, where people are made attack, to cut out out of discs before counteracting. It is not very class, even if I acknowledge much to have liked a film
like Hostel! Silent Hill more refers to another form of fantastic, that of the novels of Cleaves Barker, of Lovecraft… more literary references.

There are nevertheless rather violent scenes in Silent Hill… Yes, of course, because I can do them, and also because they fell under the account. A thing should well be included/understood: I am a commercial realizer. Not with the cynical and opportunist direction… But in the direction where I make films that people normally will see with their pals saturdays evening. In fact, I must give to the public until it waits, and the best possible one. Ca thus did me a little sorrow that people thought that Silent Hill missed starts, whereas I brawled with the producers not to yield to this facility… in the name of the spectators! There is a public which pays its place
to have an instantaneous emotion, and I disappointed it. However I do not want to leave whoever on the roadside. I do not see why I would make a sorting between spectators of first command and spectators of second command: I do not want to return in this debate, I refuse there. I think that my responsibility, especially when me 45 million dollars are given, it is to make so that the maximum of people is content. I will not play the artist. But good, that nevertheless pleases to me to hear or read that Silent Hill is closer to Orphée de Cocteau than of a basic slasher…

To correct will these defects be one of the objectives of Silent Hill 2? Yes. Silent Hill 1 was a film difficult to make, since it was necessary me to organize a complex mythology which is not known general public: the passage from one dimension to another, history of Alessa, the topic of the double… I spent much of energy to work on these concepts. On the other hand I could not perhaps occupy me of Silent Hill 2 because of my planning on Onimusha…

Will the Japanese be able to grant same confidence to another realizer for Silent Hill as that which they gave you for the first? People of Sony already made include/understand in Samuel Hadida whom they held so that this continuation has the visual extent of the original. For them, it is important that the spectators of the after-effect do not feel floués. If I could not occupy me of Silent Hill 2, it will be necessary that the director perpetuates the style of first film.

Which type of realizer could make Silent Hill 2? With Japanese, we are very of course. One did not want to make a Hollywood film, and I think that it would be although the realizer of next Silent Hill remains European. And in the best of the cases, French.

You have a precise idea of a realizer? I have ideas. But though it arrives, I would not be very far. With Samuel Hadida, one is very ”family”…

To follow…

When the rest of the interview gets online, we will translate it as well. Please excuse grammatical and spelling mistakes as we have not gone over this translation with a fine toothed comb, as can be seen by the formatting. We hope you enjoy nonetheless.