Conversation/ARTE
/Gaspar Noé/Vortex
At Locarno, Gaspar Noé Reflects on Time, Death, and an Uncompromising Cinema
Locarno. Invited to speak at a public forum during the Locarno Film Festival, filmmaker Gaspar Noé delivered a dense and introspective conversation about his work, his film Vortex, and his radical conception of cinema.
Known for films that challenge both the body and the mind of the viewer, Noé appeared here less provocative than sharply lucid. From the outset, he insisted that he does not seek shock for its own sake. His films, he explained, stem from deeply personal fears — aging, illness, loss of control, and death.
Vortex, a film about finitude
At the center of the discussion was Vortex, presented as Noé’s most intimate work to date. Far removed from the graphic brutality of Irréversible or the sensory frenzy of Climax, the film portrays the slow disintegration of an elderly couple confronted with dementia and physical decline. Noé emphasized his refusal of melodrama: the goal was not to elicit pity, but to depict a reality that cinema too often avoids.
The use of split-screen, he explained, is not a stylistic gimmick but a fundamental narrative device. By dividing the frame, the film visually expresses the mental and emotional separation of two people who continue to share the same space. A way, he suggested, of showing that isolation often begins long before death.
Actors chosen for who they are
Noé spoke at length about working with Dario Argento and Françoise Lebrun. He said he favors performers who bring their own life experience, vulnerability, and presence to the screen, rather than polished, overly technical performances. Improvisation plays a central role in his process: scenes emerge from situations rather than scripted dialogue, in order to preserve a sense of raw truth.
Cinema as experience
When asked about the violence and discomfort often associated with his films, Noé was unequivocal. For him, violence is not only physical; aging and illness are among the most brutal forms of violence there are. Accepting spectacular on-screen violence while refusing to look at bodily and mental deterioration, he argued, is a form of hypocrisy.
Noé openly rejects the idea of cinema as comfort. He prefers films that divide audiences to works that leave no lasting impression. A viewer walking out of a screening, he noted, is still a meaningful reaction.
Filming as a way to confront fear
The conversation ended on a more philosophical note. Noé spoke of his fear of memory loss, of the erosion of identity, and acknowledged Vortex as his darkest yet most honest film. As long as fear remains something he can transform into images, he said, he will continue making films.
At Locarno, Gaspar Noé did not seek provocation. Instead, he offered the portrait of a filmmaker for whom cinema remains a vital act — a way of confronting what most would rather not see.