Mathieu Le Lay

“My parents were always supportive, no matter what I choose to do in my life, as long as I was happy and sure. And they have remained the same. Sometimes my Mom was a bit worried, especially the day I decided to reject an important offer to pass my licence degree in Health, Safety and Environment, a decision that I took right after my internship in Australia. Because I was very sure I wanted to focus my studies on wildlife conservation issues in the UK and because I wanted to improve my English for my future. She accepted and helped me to continue this path. Once my parents realized the UK experiment was a success, they really felt I made the right choice.”

“I went to high school in Brest, Brittany, where most of my friends were going to study too at that age. During those years, I hadn’t a clear idea of what I wanted to do. When I was a kid, my passion for soccer made me dream of becoming a professional football player, so I even chose to spend a year of sports study program. Later I become interested in video programming, but for a couple of years I was more into trying to become a fireman since I like action and interacting with the others.”

“I have studied Health, Safety and Environment at University of Lorient, Brittany, during two years. Through a 2 month final year internship in Australia, I discovered concrete jobs working outdoor in the field. At this precise moment, I felt that something powerful was emerging in my soul. I was feeling strongly connected to the wild environment and I found in me a big desire to spend my life in the great outdoors. After this experience, I decided to pursue my studies in the UK at the School for Environmental Sciences. I realized that working as an ecologist, conservationist, would allow me to work outside and to do something necessary to protect our fragile environment. After a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Wildlife Conservation, I found out about the existence of a unique wildlife film school based in the middle of nowhere in France. Being a fan of cinema, this school would allow me to combine both my passions for nature and cinema. After my internship in Australia, this was the second turning point, before starting my career as a filmmaker. I graduated in 2008 with a Master degree in making wildlife documentaries, from the scriptwriting up to the final steps in post-production. It was very concrete for me. A revelation.”

“After one year of studies in this wildlife film school, I started to write my own documentaries. I moved in Paris for two years where I knocked at the door of several film production companies to present my work, especially the film I made during my year of training at IFFCAM. This approach helped me to understand how the industry actually works and to build a professional network into this business world. In 2009 I wrote my first 52 minute documentary film about the conservation program of the giant Bearded Vulture in the Alps. After one year and a half of hard work to fund this project, thanks to the support of several partners, including National Parks, conservation associations and foundations, I started to shoot this film with a DSLR Canon 5D Mark II, it took 15 months. With all the support behind, this project started to grow fast and I gladly managed to coproduce it with a film production company in collaboration with a French TV channel. The Bearded Vulture film was out in 2011, taking three years to finish it, including development phase, pre-production, production, shooting and editing. My two other 52 minute documentary films came out one year and two years later respectively, helped me to settle more into this industry.”

“It is very difficult to say who or what favors this inclination to cinematography and what exactly makes you become a storyteller or a filmmaker. Probably it has something to do with childhood, school, education, parents' jobs. I could say that my biggest influence came from all the experiences that kept me close to Nature and Cinema. Because Nature and people inspire and guide me the most.”

“I really started to make a living in filmmaking in 2010. My first payed project was called "La France Sauvage". I was called to work on this project as a wildlife camera operator. This wildlife documentary series included 10 episodes shot in some of the wildest spots in France. Since I moved in Paris from 2008 to 2010, I was working on the episode about the species inhabiting the city, the suburbs, the urban parks.”

“Apart from my author/personal projects, I'm still working as a director and cinematographer for commissioned films, especially if they are focused on Nature. I have to say that for the last two years, more than half of my time is spent in an office behind a computer in order to find a good balance in this very demanding and hardly supported industry.”

“I am working closely with a scriptwriter to develop my first feature fiction, an adaptation from a book I read three years ago. I also have a short fiction film in the writing process with the same scriptwriter. Apart from this I will keep exploring what image can offer and to enrich my visual perception, to continue filmmaking and directing films, focused on authentic and sensitive stories involving men in a wild environment. To keep my intimate approach to my characters. And to evoke aesthetics and misty atmospheres in my images.”

“Apart from my career into filmmaking, I would like to have a very simple life with my girlfriend, a simple house, a garden full of vegetables and fruit trees. To build a family and travel all together. Explore and experiment the world as a family unit. Stay passionate and inspired.”