Through a collection of Q&A portraits, the Union introduces the members of the association. Today, Pascale Marin.

When and how did you become interested in cinematography?

I started getting interested in filmmaking around the age of 12, when a cinema opened in the small town where I lived.

Which films have particularly struck you visually, to the point of sparking your specific interest in the work of the image?

The films of Wong Kar Wai: Chungking Express, Happy Together. The landing scene from Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg.

What was your initial training?

The Louis Lumière school.

When and in what context did you start working as a cinematographer?

Right out of school, I worked on short films. Then the loyalty of certain directors I met allowed me, a few years later, to sign the cinematography of their first feature film.

© Cyril Gomez – “Comme un chien dans une église” by Fabien Gorgeart, produced by Drablanc

What types of films have you worked on and what would be the best next project?

I have worked on first-time auteur films with small budgets. The best next project would be a film that makes your heart beat with emotion, excitement and desire, with a slightly less tight budget.

What are your artistic sources of inspiration?

I am a great admirer of Roger Deakins’ work, with a particular fondness for The Assassination of Jesse James and Revolutionary Road. In photography, Gregory Crewdson’s work since Beneath the Roses fascinates me. But when I’m on a project, my sources of inspiration depend on the exchanges of references that develop with the director.

© Ivan Mathie – “La pièce manquante” by Nicolas Birkenstock, produced by Stromboli

Do you remember any regrettable blunders that turned out to be instructive?

A nice little blunder on one of my first shorts, in Super 16 a slow motion at 30 fps and a complete oversight of the shutter setting under HMI light. In the end, a very beautiful shot where the slight flicker is reminiscent of the fluttering wings of the butterfly resting on the face of the child filmed in close-up. Today, I would say my blunders are more political than technical. When to let go, when to stand firm?

“Le bout des Doigts” by Nicolas Birkenstock, produced by Bianca Films

Have you experienced moments of doubt about your work or your professional environment?

I experience moments of doubt when I’m not working. As soon as I’m shooting, those doubts fade away.

Have you ever wanted to move into directing?

Never seriously.

What do you like and what don’t you like about your job?

I love the work of an entire team united toward an intangible goal, and the exchange of smiles when the take is good for everyone.
I don’t like not being able to tell my son whether I’ll be there for the next holiday.
I love going far away (which is not contradictory with the previous statement).
I love watching a film I worked on and finding that it carries me away to the point of sometimes feeling that the cinematography isn’t mine.

What advice would you give to an aspiring cinematographer?

To respect your teams. To think about the film, not your showreel.
That it is the most beautiful profession in the world, but that we don’t save anyone’s life.

Pascale Marin on the United Cinematographers website