Claire Denis previously mentioned in March 2022 that she believed “Both Sides of the Blade” would be her final film amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I thought maybe ‘The Stars at Noon’ would never exist, so maybe this is my last film. I don’t know, it was a weird thing.”
Then she completed “Stars at Noon” and, wouldn’t you know it, she ended up releasing two films in 2022 — both won prizes at Berlin and Cannes. Would this be the the final films for the 77-year-old auteur?
Apparently not.
In a chat with The Guardian, Denis revealed she just finished writing a new feature and that she’ll start location scouting it this month in Cameroon. We could potentially get a new Denis film next year.
The French auteur grew up in Cameroon, she even shot her 1988 debut “Chocolat” and 2009’s “White Material” over there. The country hits close to him and we’re wondering if it’ll be as autobiographical as her previous films.
Denis is, arguably, France's most globally-acclaimed active director and she still only has this one César nomination to her name. That means no Directing nods for “35 Shots of Rum,” “Beau Travail,” “The Intruder,” and “White Material.” Go figure.
French critics haven’t been as enthusiastic about Denis over the years. It’s been more than 20 years since one of her films reached that elusive 4.0 score on AlloCine (that would be 2002’s “Vendredi Soir”). However, Stateside, she’s an absolute legend with the arthouse crowd.
I spoke to Denis in 2019. It was a wonderful interview, one of my most memorable, and she couldn’t have been more open about her creative process.