Page 80 - Metropolis Magazine nº115

European clothes—the sad an aspect that comes from Hugo Public buildings prominently
Tahitian princess who dresses and Cláudia's script—directly display the flags of both the
like a Parisian lady. This is the into that relationship between European Union and France.)
social and political context the young Victor Segalen, The extras in the film had a very
that Segalen will encounter who has just arrived in Tahiti, curious reaction: we were filming
during his stay. How and his (already pre-existing, a shot in which the children
important is this sequence in necessarily) critical relationship sing “the Marseillaise” and a
the movie? or critical look at that reality gentleman came up to me and
Paulo Milhomens: There's an that he is about to experience. said (we were rehearsing), “But
experience of shooting because The film introduces a ghost, I'm sorry, this is the Marseillaise!
we worked mainly with people Paul Gauguin, who functions as I have to stand up! I can't sit
from there; there were only three a phantom figure and in habits down!" I found the situation
actors from France, but all the the scene. The day we shot that very amusing, because he added,
characters were played by people sequence had the most extras in “It's our country's anthem!”. I
from the islands of Tahiti. We the film, and the French extras' replied, “Well, it's not mine!”
shot on three different islands, reaction was odd. (Side note: [laughs]. I was in this curious
and interestingly, the story of the Tahiti's current reality is marked position of being Portuguese—
movie also takes place on three by a significant influx of French the project was Hugo's (Vieira
islands. That initial sequence of individuals who, for various da Silva)—and I was in Tahiti
the film, the whole beginning of reasons, migrate to live there filming because Hugo couldn't
the film, has to do with diving— after winning the Euromillions. for health reasons. The crew

80 METROPOLIS FEBRUARY 2025