Review Fix Exclusive: Sandrine Brodeur Desrosiers Talks ‘Just Me And You’

Review Fix chats with filmmaker Sandrine Brodeur Desrosiers, who discusses her new film, “Just Me And You.”

Review Fix: Why is the topic of this film important today?

Sandrine Brodeur Desrosiers: It is urgent to find ways to humanize this complex issue that is immigration. Thinking about that issue reminds me: the wall that Trump wants to build, the children that are put apart of their families, controversies in Quebec, the wars and climate change and increase the immigration around the globe, … It can easily become politic. In that case, immigration is often seen as a mass. Yet, the word “they” dissociates us from the empathy one can have towards all the different individual stories. Obviously, it’s impossible to tell all the stories, but Just Me and You recalls one of them. It also offers a different gaze on this issue because it’s not seen through the difference, but through the eyes of an 8 years old child that only wants to have a great first holiday with her dad. Using this point of view allowed us to see the issue of “immigration” differently and unravel it’s complexity. Lots of things are hidden from Eva (likewise from the audience). Something will definitely go wrong… But it’s up to our judgment to decide what is legal or not, condemnable or not, right or wrong… or maybe the nuances in between.

Review Fix: What inspired this film?

Desrosiers: Luis Molinié wrote the story. His idea came as he was talking with an acquaintance. She told him that, as a kid, she used to spend lots of time with her father. Later on, she discovered that he was doing something she suspected as morally and legally condemnable. Yet, for her, these moments spent with her father were happy memories. 

Review Fix: How difficult was this film to put together?

Desrosiers: It was a real puzzle! The hardest part was to find the right actors and the 8-wheeler truck (which is a character in itself)! Our story is a road movie from Montreal to Mexico and we needed to believe that Stefan is driving the same truck back and forth. Now, we discovered that a North American truck couldn’t cross the US-Mexican border. So we needed to different truck alike. But you should know that all the North American trucks on the road are 2011 and over. When they are 2011 and under, they ship it… to Mexico! It was simply impossible. We pushed back the film shoot two times before we found two trucks “alike”… and yet, we had to cheat a little bit in colorization! Overall, we’ve been very lucky both in Canada and Mexico! The credit for finding the truck goes to Johannie Deschambault, the producer! J

Review Fix: Tell me about the cast.

Desrosiers: Luis Molinié (the screenwriter) wanted to address the difficult decisions immigrants have to go take sometimes. In the script, they were Romanian, but did a large casting. The main requirement: we were looking for someone with another mother tongue than French, English or Spanish. We put announcements everywhere; I even went to the big truck stop in Ontario to find truckers and in Primary schools talent shows when seeking for the kid.  Tania Arana (casting director), Johannie Deschambault (producer) looked for both professionals and non-professionals actors. We ended up doing lots of auditions for which we had 2 main challenges. First, the father had to drive a truck and match the mother tongue of the chosen kid. We luckily found Florin Peltea who had both an acting background and a new truck permit. To play Eva, we chose Dalia Binzari. When we were shooting, we only recently learned French (she was so good, I didn’t realize at first). I let her decide whether she wanted to speak French or Romanian. At first she was really concerned that I wouldn’t be able to understand her when she would speak Romanian… But once into the character and the situation, she started speaking French when she didn’t really want her father to understand and Romanian when she wanted him to answer… We worked a lot with improvisation and it was very interesting to see the scene come to life.

Review Fix: What was the feeling like on set?

Desrosiers: It was a real adventure. We were both really prepared and ready to improvise. It’s was real thrill for me, as a director, to shoot a film abroad with such a professional team. One of the crewmembers had a death in his family and he decided to stay on the set. I’ve never seen such a generous and devoted team. They really believed in the film and what is reach. I’m very proud and blessed to work with that team, both in Tijuana and in Quebec.

It’s so funny because in Quebec, when we shoot on the road, the law is to have a police escort. In Tijuana, the regulation was to be accompanied in all times with an ambulance. We were actually very happy to have them when, the first day before shooting, Dalia got a sty! They gave her drips and we were fine the next day… luckily!

Review Fix: How have the audiences been reacting to Just Me And You?

Desrosiers: The audience has been very generous with the film. Winning the Crystal Bear at the Berlinale really opened the doors for the film to have a wonderful life in festivals. It traveled the world, winning also the Grand National Prize at Regard, the Grand Prize Vision Award at Rhodes Island, … 

But mostly, the encounters with the public in festivals were magical. They shared both stories related to Just Me and You, testimonies, but would also question the acts of the characters in a very interesting way. At the Berlinale, a kid asked me if his dad was using Eva during the trip or if he really wanted to go for a holiday. I didn’t think kids would actually get the film, but I was very happy that, in many different ways, it reached a very wide audience. A senior in Palm Springs was so angry at the father for not being more upfront with his kid. She really took at heart the kid’s situation. Nonetheless, she understood the situation of the father and what was at stake for him too. Overall, I hoped for the audience to reflex on this complex issue that is immigration. At first, we don’t really think this film is about immigration, we think that’s is only a father/daughter roadtrip. So we get involved in their relationship before witnessing their “situations”. The audience has no other choice but to see this topic in a new perspective…

Review Fix: What films have inspired it the most?

Desrosiers: When doing that film, I was looking for references of films made with trucks and I watched Las Acacias (Pablo Giorgelli) that won the Caméra d’or at Cannes in 2011. It’s a beautiful story. I enjoyed how the soft color palette, the humanly harsh situation in addition to the intimate relationship. They also have great “behind the scene” footage, I could observe how they shot the truck scenes. We ended up doing it hand-held, not using any rigs. But I enjoyed the research. I was also inspired by David Lynch’s movies for the night scene on the road and the music in Denis Villeneuve’s film Sicario.

Review Fix: What have you learned about yourself through this entire process?

Desrosiers: I’ve learned so much. It was a very intense production. Yet, I loved all the challenges brought by these extremes situations. I loved that I directed a movie with a big truck, in scattered locations around Tijuana in such a short timeframe. I love that the production manager and I were ironing the costumes on our suitcases in that very small motel mi-way between Tijuana and Mexicali after a long day of shooting (we obviously didn’t have the money to get the costume designer to travel with us). I loved that the only place in the desert where the truck could do a U-Turn was called the “Pavarotti point” (Pavarotti once sung at this point in the desert). Even if we were very tired after a day of shooting, I am so grateful that we could film on the road when changing location because it gave magical shots such as the one with the lamppost that has clicking lights (I’ve never seen that in my life!). All those small details made this experience magical. I’m proud that I overcame this impossible task with a team that made it possible. This story is worth it!

Obviously, some things went wrong and it was nothing that we could anticipate. I had to invent creative solutions quickly. Happily, Johannie (the producer) was the best ally I could have. The budget and the creative had to work closely together. In the end, I’m happy with the choices we’ve made. There’s not one that I regret.

I’ve learned that when a story needs to be told, everyone gather to make it possible… even across the borders. 

Review Fix: Describe Just Me And You in one word.

Desrosiers: Immigration / Childhood Memories

Review Fix: What’s next?

Desrosiers: Hopefully a feature film. I have now two that the writing is completed… We now work really hard to secure the funding.