Cloé Bailly
“My mother has been an accountant for most of her life and she’s now a Chinese doctor, which I admire a lot. She went back to school after turning 45 and studied non-stop to have her own practice, which I think is super badass. My father works in construction, he’s a foreman. Both are very far from what I do, and have no clue of what I’m doing!”
“Both my mother and father where pretty scared and skeptical because they didn’t know the industry at all, but they were very supportive, especially my mother who’s very ’’Follow your own path’’ kind of vibe. I think they started to be reassured only when I started making actual money from directing. They’re still very clueless of the whole thing though, but they try to understand, and they’re proud.”
“I went to an international high school near Aix-en-Provence called Georges Duby. It was the best 3 years: I was in boarding school so hanging out 24/7 with my mates. It almost felt like a 3 year long summer camp… And because it was an international school, there were kids and teachers from all around the world. It was a very enriching and open-minding experience. That’s also when I dropped playing with my neighbor’s sheep and rabbits to become a totally civilized teenager.”
“I studied Lettres Modernes Appliquées, which is basically Literature & Cinema. Very general, very open-minding, very few classes (which was perfect for me - I preferred exploring Paris and life than locking myself in a classroom.)”
“Because I loved acting and cinema so much, I found out quite early that being on set was what I loved the most. Soon enough, I understood being an actress wasn’t for me. I just couldn’t stand being dependent on other people’s desires. So I tried different jobs to see the other side of the camera. I had to be on set no matter what, I just had to find how. And since I always needed to tell stories to escape reality, directing became an evidence.”
“After realizing acting wasn’t for me, I took any job I could get: 1st assistant director on music videos and short films, cast director assistant, producer assistant. Until I moved to L.A, where I worked with the super talented and self-made directing crew Dimitri Basil, Laura Gorun & Cooper Roussel. At that time, they were doing everything: pitching, writing, producing, framing, lighting, acting, editing etc. I really got to love the craft itself more than just the idea of shooting. After a few months helping around, I realized I only wanted to work for myself. I had my own stories to tell. So with the help of a few great friends, I gathered people, clothes and props and we drove to Joshua Tree. We shot what I called a ‘reel’ back then, but it was basically experimenting shots I had in mind. I went back to France, edited it, put it online and started to get work from it.”
“My biggest influence is definitely movies. But there are so many! Wouldn’t even know where to start. I’ve recently asked myself why my favorite films actually are my favorites. Well, they combine strong aesthetics with powerful storytelling but most importantly, they have a strong sense of fantasy. They make the audience escape reality.”
“Hollywood’s Golden Age, mainly Mankiewicz’s work. The Italian cinema, from Cinecitta to Neorealism to Giallo… My favorite film and absolute inspiration is ‘Boccaccio 70’, a 1962 anthology of four episodes, each directed by Fellini, Da Sica, Monicelli and Visconti. More recently, I’m a big fan of Luca Guadagnigno and Paolo Sorrentino’s work. And then, if I really had to pick, my main influences would be (with no logical order) : Hitchcock, Buñuel, Almodóvar and The Coen Brothers. As I write and direct comedy, I also get inspired by real life. People I watch, stories I hear or live myself.”
“I’m currently writing my first feature! It’s a dark comedy - and I’m very excited about it. I’m in pre-production of 2 other shorts, one in English and one in French. Meanwhile, my first short film, These People, is still running festivals and is going to be distributed internationally. I’m also busy pitching or directing commercials with Caviar (Paris and London). I love combining the long process of fiction with the short-noticed and manic process of commercials.”
“Going forward I want to be writing and directing movies! A witty, absurd, slightly dark comedy. Ideally, I’ll still direct a few commercials and music videos here and there, but I’m only truly driven by fiction. Telling stories, creating something meaningful, not having to deal with the ad world’s politics, not having to settle down for anything other than my vision. I want to entertain the audience in a smart way. Most of the comedies are not very elevated, nor very interesting visually. It’s starting to change, including in France, and I believe this genre has a bright future. There are still so many things to explore!”