16/05/2024 - CANNES 2024: We sat down with the independent US helmer to discuss the collaborative filmmaking process, his central character and the European dream

Independent US director Josh Mond’s sophomore feature, the US-French co-production It Doesn’t Matter [+see also:
film review
interview: Josh Mond
film profile], has just world-premiered in Cannes’ parallel ACID section. The film follows Alvaro (played by Jay Will) and his close bond with filmmaker Chris (Christopher Abbott) as they embark on a cross-country journey.

Although a work of fiction, the movie employs a first-person point of view, a handheld camera and a video-blog aesthetic, lending it a rawness and authenticity reminiscent of a documentary. Cineuropa sat down with Mond to discuss the collaborative filmmaking process, his central character of Alvaro and the European dream.

Cineuropa: How do you qualify the film in terms of genre? Do you even label it, or doesn't it really matter?
Josh Mond: There you go: you said it. It doesn't matter. It's a fiction. But otherwise, I don't want to put a label on it, because I have my own proper experience with the film.

Eight people are credited as DoPs – the film’s entire creative team. How did you go about this collaborative shoot?
We were a bunch of hands-on people who were learning while doing. My producer, Alice de Matha, is also my co-writer and editor. She would also shoot stuff. Same goes for my co-producer, Georges Beno – and for my other producer, also my co-writer, Oscar Bodden Gonzalez. I would ask them to film specific locations where I couldn’t go. Then I mixed these shots. I would also put the cameras in the actors' hands so they could live in this world.

If you starve long enough, you become a chef, you know? You work with what you have, and you make the best of it. That's what the movie, the story and Alvaro’s character are about. It's what Chris's character is trying to show – that you have to make it work. The way the film was made resonated with its theme, in addition to showing that Alvaro is an amazing storyteller.

The film covers a wide geographical area and chronology. What becomes of Alvaro towards the end?
There's something outside, and you have to do what you have to do to get there. Just because you've succeeded and made it through the shit once, it doesn't mean you don't have to do it again. For Alvaro, it's done step by step. That's why he gets to Europe, where another world exists.

The film gets one thinking about both the European and American dreams. Did you purposely ponder these concepts?
The European dream is something prevalent for Americans – being in Paris or simply living a different way of life. In comparison, there’s the examination of the American dream. America has been such an amazing safe haven for many people, including my grandparents. America provides amazing opportunities, but there's also a system making it hard to get through. I say that as a second-generation American myself. If you're born into a capitalistic society, and it's all you know, it develops into a constant survivalist chase of the dollar. When you don't have those means, you are always under the thumb of it. Chris is trying to show Alvaro that there's something different outside of the USA. We don't have to live like this any more. So yes, for us Americans, the European dream is a dream.

Would Jay help in creating the character?
Absolutely. A lot of it was heavily scripted, but Jay gave 100%. It was an absolute gift to work with him. In terms of creating the character, it was a collaboration, for sure.

You already mentioned teamwork: is this something you embrace? Is cinema teamwork, rather than it being solely the director who is in the spotlight?
For sure. Because the film was so small, everybody had to take on a massive role. And the benefit of it being small is that you obtain close relationships. Not too many cooks in the kitchen. Moreover, you really get to curate. For me, cinema has always been about families and collaborations. As my movies are so personal, it's important to be surrounded by people who are there for the right reasons.

These characters aren’t living an easy life, yet they remain optimistic, and the film treats Alvaro’s hardships with levity. How did you strike the tonal balance?
The friendship, the honesty, the caring, the ability to laugh at things and have that vulnerability – all of these aspects bring lightness. It parallels the bond of best friends, who are silly and immature, yet are dealing with serious stuff. However, it's also about Alvaro's ability to tell stories that are vivid, visceral and wild. Chris visualises his interpretation through animation.

How was your collaboration with Anthony F Schepperd [the animation director]?
Incredible. I started messing with this project six years ago. I would send Anthony a bunch of random bits, and he would start sketching stuff. He introduced me to Ralph Bakshi’s films – his animation, both creatively and politically, is so progressive. With Anthony, we connected on everything. I wanted a lot of animation, but it was pricey. Blind Pig in London was generous enough to put a team together to work with Anthony. Doing the audio with Olivier and Victor [sound designers Olivier Voisin and Victor Praud] for the animation was one of my favourite parts of doing the whole movie.