I just received my DVD copy of this film. (Thanks to Film
Movement for issuing the DVD, even though it costs as much
as a Criterion disk; so many films will be lost to future
generations because they are only carried online these days.)

The DVD has a one-hour Q&A session with director Kiberlain and
star Rebecca Marder, hosted by Annette Insdorf. I saw Insdorf
host one an event live in New York 21 years ago; she was still
going strong, instantaneously translating Kiberlain's answers
given in French. (What was the occasion? It must have been
a Kieslowski retrospective. I even had her autograph on my
copy of _Double Lives, Second Chances_, dated 8/2002! I
simply can't believe it has been that long ago.)

Kiberlain is a first-time director but as an actress she
must have been the guest of honor on many of these Q&As.
She answered every question without a moment's hesitation,
with long, flowing sentences and strategic pauses to
allow translation. Marder was very young and tried to
speak in halting English; she should learn from her
director! Insdorf asked many insightful questions, but
two of the most revealing queries came from the audience.
One asked Marder how she compared her male directors with
Kiberlain. She revealed that Kiberlain was empathetic in
the extreme, not only with the actors but also the crew;
everyone truly loved her as a director. Kiberlain also
directed Marder in her role of Irene in a very physical
way -- often sometimes from a few feet away. (Speaking
of Kieslowski; he also directed Irene Jacob in his films
from a very short distance.) A follow-on question was
about the feminine gaze as director. Kiberlain gave
a brilliant answer, saying that some male directors can
have a very feminine gaze too. There are actors and
directors out there who are brilliant but just not very
nice people (Eva Green, anyone?). But you look at
Kiberlain and can intuit she is truly one in a billion.
Wish I can see her in person so day, maybe even hear
her sing!

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