James Cameron confides in “Avatar 2”: “I made this film for the big screen”

“ Hello guys! He may be Canadian, James Cameron, 68, impresses with a very Californian combination of relaxation and professionalism. Both “cool” and focused, he responds this Friday afternoon, December 2, to a cavalcade of interviews at the Bristol, in Paris. The many journalists were previously subjected to an antigen test, in the antechamber of the suite where the interviews take place. A superstar protocol: normal for this cinema giant. “Terminator” (1984), “Abyss” (1989), “True lies” (1994), “Titanic” (1997)…

We often talk about James Cameron, his virtuosity in the spectacular, the colossal budgets of his blockbusters…

“ Hello guys! He may be Canadian, James Cameron, 68, impresses with a very Californian combination of relaxation and professionalism. Both “cool” and focused, he responds this Friday afternoon, December 2, to a cavalcade of interviews at the Bristol, in Paris. The many journalists were previously subjected to an antigen test, in the antechamber of the suite where the interviews take place. A superstar protocol: normal for this cinema giant. “Terminator” (1984), “Abyss” (1989), “True lies” (1994), “Titanic” (1997)…

We often talk about James Cameron, his virtuosity in the spectacular, the colossal budgets of his blockbusters. We forget that he is also a filmmaker of the intimate, attentive, in his excessive frescoes, to capture quivers, glances, reflections, to move. It was the great soul supplement of “Titanic”. He proves it again in the Avatar sequel, “The Way of the Water”a visual odyssey in 3D which is released on Wednesday 14 December.

“Avatar: The Way of the Water” is your first film for thirteen years, many countries will discover it in mid-December: a few days before the release, what state of mind are you in?

Of course I am anxious! Above all, I want people to be surprised. I always have a concern about the trailers, which shouldn’t say too much. It is necessary to avoid that the spectators have the feeling of having already seen the film…

Is writing a “sequel” easier or harder than starting from scratch?

The risk is to duplicate the first film. You have to find the right balance between continuity and novelty. The spectator must be both happy to find familiar elements and constantly surprised, held in suspense until the end. There are bridges with the first part, several common characters in particular, but I wanted “Avatar: The Way of the Water” to be an independent feature film, that we can enjoy without having seen the first episode.

“I wanted people to be able to like “Avatar: The Way of the Water” without having seen the first episode”

Part of this epic no longer takes place in the lush jungle of Pandora but in the aquatic village of the Metkayinas, in the water: we imagine that this is an additional degree of difficulty for a director…

I have been working on water for more than thirty years, since the filming of “Abyss” in 1989. This aquatic village, it took us six to eight months to draw it. We wanted a moving, organic, harmonious landscape. We discarded square, angular shapes, favoring curved lines. During filming, we also installed a system of trampolines so that the characters give the impression of moving with maximum fluidity… My objective is for the viewer to feel totally immersed in this aquatic environment, so that he does not perceive anything of the enormous technological work behind these images. I want it to feel like I showed up with my smartphone and filmed!

“The family is a fortress”, say the characters several times…

An open family, which is not only biological, whose unity gives strength to the protagonists. It is also a question, in this “Avatar”, of exile, of different communities who wonder if they will be able to live together. These issues are significant in our news, they come from the “real world”: science fiction and fantasy are far from being exclusively abstract registers.

How would you define your job as a filmmaker?

I feel like a researcher, an explorer. I’m always learning, trying to go further, like when I practice underwater exploration [James Cameron est un passionné de plongée, NDLR]. I am looking for special experiences that will increase my way of thinking. Working on a screenplay with an actor is exploration: together we’ll see what lies beneath the words. The press often describes the technological aspect of my films, but during filming, my days begin with an hour around a table with the actors, talking about the scene of the day.

“Too many directors neglect the aesthetic dimension, photography”

What are the three elements that make a good feature film?

A good story, which engages the spectators, good actors to best embody this story, it’s decisive, and a formal beauty. Too many directors neglect aesthetics, photography. I love drawing, painting. For me, it’s completely part of the process.

Watching “Avatar 2”, one thinks of Miyazaki, “Ponyō”…

I really like his work, dreamlike, unexpected.

Are you worried about the future of cinemas?

Yes, we are releasing “Avatar: The Way of the Water” in an uncertain context. Resumption of the pandemic, retraction of the market… During the confinements, we exchanged on Zoom with colleagues like Spielberg, we said to ourselves: “this may be the end…”. And actually no, there are always huge hits. I hope this film will remind people of how unique a cinematic experience is. I did it for the big screen!

One of the beautiful things about “Avatar” is that the characters live in symbiosis with their natural environment. The ecological subtitle is self-explanatory…

The climatic situation is very worrying. It is urgent to transform our consciences. Otherwise, it will collapse. We have already seen civilizations disappear: the ancient Roman, Egyptian, Greek worlds… I have personally changed my way of life in recent years. When you dive, when you are alone “down there”, you live a spiritual, mystical experience: you see marvelous things, and you come back to the surface with the duty to protect them.

“Avatar: The Waterway” by James Cameron. Duration: 3 h 12. In theaters from December 14.