Catherine Corsini’s Summertime looks at the feminist movement from the eyes of farmer’s daughter in Paris. Here, director Corsini talks inspirations, casting and the importance of letting your voice be heard…
Why did you choose to set Summertime in the 1970s?
CC: I really wanted to pay tribute to feminist women, who have often been vilified, called sex-starved neurotics… for years I wasn’t a true feminist and I almost agreed with that perception of them. But I quickly came to realize that I owed many of the benefits I live by today to these women who fought and campaigned for them. Many of them were homosexual and with this movement, they were finally able to make themselves heard. Actually, they have really been instrumental in the emancipation of women in general. The vitality, the audacity of the feminist movement really appealed to me. I don’t see anything like that today. I realized that feminism puts the human element first, and that has been the main principle in the writing of this film.
The historical material is intrinsically mixed with Delphine and Carole’s personal journey…
CC: Finding how to connect an intimate story to history was the focus of our debate whilst we were writing the script. Questions like, how can you campaign for a cause, be brave for others’ sake, but still find it hard to defend your own “cause” in your private life? I could relate to this dichotomy, and it brought about interesting elements to the fiction and drama. Although Delphine feels uneasy in her private life, she still has the courage to release a man who’s been incarcerated because he is gay, and to throw veal lungs at an “anti-abortion” doctor.
How did the casting come about?
CC: I wrote the part for Cécile de France as I knew she would be perfect for it. It was just obvious. I like her brightness, her bravery, her stylishness. When you already have an actor in mind, it’s simple. For Delphine, it wasn’t as easy. To stand up to Cécile, we didn’t need an ethereal figure, but rather a strong person. A girl who wouldn’t exactly be the “Parisian” type, so that she’d look convincing enough on a tractor. Izïa Higelin had this character, this raw and wild side. She has quite a fiery temperament. I think she puts a lot into her acting, and this is what makes her so touching. Out of the two characters, Delphine is the one I can relate to the most. This is probably why I found it so difficult to cast the right actress to play her.
You keep creating echoes between political and intimate issues, for instance in the scene when Manuel points out to Carole that she is fighting for her freedom, yet at the same time she gets caught into a love story that makes her dependent…
CC: I really like the character of Manuel, I found it interesting to have him make Carole confront her own contradictions by telling her that her commitment shouldn’t be limited to the lecture hall with her friends, and that we should agree that he is right. He fell in love with Carole because she was free, and he reminds her of it… I didn’t want him to be a jerk, but just a jealous man who’s focused on his own problems, even though he is hurt.
They are both teachers, heirs to the May 1968 social upheaval. He is a Maoist so they probably campaigned together at some point. This couple lives by the principle that it is possible not to lead a conventional, bourgeois life. When they do fight, it isn’t violent. Manuel tries to make Carole change her mind using reflection, he tries to reach her through reason. Summertime is a film with women, about the women’s movement, with a love story between two women… I didn’t want to have petty men around. I wanted them to pay attention to women, and not just be their antagonists. As Carole says at the beginning: “We are not against men, we are for women”.
Is it still relevant today to talk about the Women’s Liberation Movement?
CC: Yes it is, more than ever, considering the fate of women in the world. Women have to rise up, because they are still the first victims of authoritarian regimes. They are still oppressed. The right to abort was questioned in Spain only last year… To me, tomorrow’s revolutions and changes must be sparked by women. At the time of the film, women claimed equality, equal pay and “that women shouldn’t be objectified like promotional items”. Today, the situation remains the same, despite a few advances, people’s mentality hasn’t evolved enough. We are living in a time of terrible regression, and it is of vital importance to acknowledge it and act on it. Every time I take part in a meeting, I’m making a point of letting women be heard. I don’t understand why women are still considered so scary today, why they are prevented to think, why they don’t have the same rights. Why?
Summertime is out now. To find out more and book tickets, head here.
