Marine Atlan's early career
Marine Atlan, who graduated from Fémis in 2015, presented her graduation film Les Amours vertes at the International Short Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand, where it received the Grand Prix from directors Guillaume Brac and Leyla Bouzid. They encouraged her to continue making films, a sentiment that guided her career. Atlan's cinematography work
In the years following, Atlan worked as a chief cinematographer on several feature films, including Le Ravissement by Iris Kaltenbäck, Les Reines du drame by Alexis Langlois, and L'Engloutie by Louise Hémon. Despite this, she remained determined to direct her own film. Inspiration for La Gradiva
Atlan's film La Gradiva was inspired by works such as Les Roseaux sauvages by André Téchiné and Travolta et moi by Patricia Mazuy, both of which she felt had "counted a lot." She aimed to create a story about youth, using a "free and spontaneous" cinematic approach, with minimal resources and non-professional actors. Research and preparation for the film
To avoid a "fantasized vision of youth," she conducted interviews with about thirty teenagers at her old high school in Montrouge, discussing topics such as politics, sexuality, ecology, school, and the future. These exchanges helped her understand the "contradictions, fears..." of 17-year-olds. Naples and the casting process
Atlan also made several trips to Naples, first alone, then with her team and a senior high school class. She described this trip as "decisive" in understanding the intensity of experiences for teenagers in a short period, including "friendly ruptures, tears, immense joys, freedom..." The process of casting the three main characters and twenty students who make up the class took several years, as did the writing and rehearsals. The filming eventually took place in Italy. Challenges of directing La Gradiva
Atlan admitted she had not anticipated the logistical challenges, the difficulty of directing twenty people, or the fatigue involved. She said she "went there with a rifle in the flower," a phrase indicating she was unprepared but determined.
