Eight years ago when Vincent Perez made his first visit to Taiwan, he was the handsome leading man in the film Queen Margot. Now he has put on more weight, gotten married, and become the father of two daughters. He's also become a director, and it is in this capacity that he makes his second visit to Taipei to promote his debut feature film Once Upon an Angel.
"Being a director is a new chapter in my life," the French filmmaker said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Accompanying Perez is his wife and scriptwriter, actress Karine Sylla, and the 19-year-old actress Morgaine More, who plays the Angel in the film.
PHOTO: TAI LI-AN, TAIPEI TIMES
After a stint as a photographer, Perez made a name for himself by starring in such films as Indochine (1994), Queen Margot (1994) and Beyond the Clouds (1996). He had always dreamed of making movies, and now that his dream has come true, Perez said, "It's like a huge world opened for me."
Once Upon an Angel is about a naive young girl from humble surroundings named Angel who goes to work as a maid in the house of a bourgeois family. There she meets Gregoire, who has returned to the region to attend to the death of his mother. Gregoire is trying to forget his past, and Angel falls in love with him.
Once Upon an Angel has a subtle sensibility, especially in describing a young woman's mind and emotions, which it captures perfectly. Perez's camera casts an affectionate gaze on Angel and her quest for true love, giving the film a feeling of purity and sincerity.
Perez attributes his success in depicting female emotions to More's superb acting and his wife's scriptwriting. "Also, maybe I have a feminine sensibility. I'm always surrounded by women (meaning his wife and two daughters). Women have a vision about the circle of life and death, and I wanted to touch on this subject for my first feature film," he said.
His wife, Karine, agrees: "In reality he is not a very macho man."
Once Upon an Angel will be released in Taiwan on Nov. 23.
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