A young woman goes to her first audition and the director asks her to talk about what is inside her handbag
Auditioning as an actor can be a strange, awkward and vulnerable experience. One is supposed to put oneself out there, knowing well the high probability of rejection. It can be an excruciating process and yet be full of surprises: much like this film.
Most of ‘Emilie Muller’ is a conversation between the auditioning actor and the director. The simplicity of this conversation is deceiving. The power equation between them is apparent and yet the actor seems undeterred. On the director’s request, Emilie pulls out random objects from her handbag and shares her association with each of them. While the actor is encouraged to be herself, the director nudges her towards certain directions – asking her to elaborate about some things and not others. With each new object, a new aspect of her personality is revealed. Amongst other things, she pulls out her sleeping pills and her organ donor card. She doesn’t smoke but she carries a pack of cigarettes for her friends. We learn about her dreams, fears, philosophies and relationships. All of these together form a collage of a complex human being.
Emilie’s high level of self-awareness, and her unique and intricately formed worldview are on full display. Even though one-sided, the instant intimacy brought forth by the auditioning process is unmatchable. But does Emilie finally bag the role?
Remember to turn on the English subtitles and look out for the surprise ending.
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Surbhi Dewan, Curator at ViewFinder, Saachibaat.com |
