Summertime sadness makes its way to the screen with Durga Chew-Bose’s feature directorial debut, Bonjour Tristesse. This first-time director celebrated the world premiere of her film at the Toronto International Film Festival with the cast members she tells us were pivotal in bringing her own spin to this 1954 coming-of-age novel.
Based on the novel of the same name by Françoise Sagan, the dreamy film follows the story of 18-year-old Cécile (Lily McInerny), who spends the holidays getting sun-kissed by the French seaside. She’s not alone — joining her is her devilishly charming father, Raymond (Claes Bang), and his youthful Bohemian lover, Elsa (Naïlia Harzoune). But when her peaceful world is interrupted by the presence of her late mother’s friend (Chloë Sevigny), a remarkably stylish and sociable fashion designer, Cécile slowly receives several rude awakenings about the fabulous society she's surrounded by.
Our own Perri Nemiroff had the opportunity to discuss Bonjour Tristesse when writer-director Chew-Bose and cast members McInerny, Bang, and Sevigny stopped by the Collider studio at the Cinema Center at MARBL. During their conversation, they share how each member of the cast was pivotal for Chew-Bose's vision for the adaptation, the challenges they overcame while filming on location, discovering their characters, and Sevigny's brat summer in Charli XCX's music video.
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