Monia Chokri is a Canadian stage- and television actor as well as an award winning director. Her first feature film, ”A Brother’s Love,” won the Un Certain Regard jury’s Coup de Coeur at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. “Babysitter” is Chokri’s second feature, and she appears in the film alongside Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Patrick Hivon.
“Babysitter” is screening at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which is running online from January 20-30. More information can be found on the fest’s website.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
MC: “Babysitter” is a dark comedy that explores the notion of deep desire and erotic taboos — how one embraces their sexual impulses, which can exist outside of our romantic relationships, and what that says about us.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
MC: It was the writing of Catherine Léger – who wrote the original play and screenplay – that drew me in. I love her ability to discuss difficult subjects with depth and her offbeat humor that is always nuanced. I was drawn to this project by the fact that although there has been a social revolution in some ways, it is still very weak in the intimate sense.
By the “intimate revolution,” I mean one about love and sex, and this requires a self-awareness that perhaps is still weak, in my opinion. This can lead to women being dominated and hindering their sexual awakening. This subject was important to me, but it wasn’t explored in enough films.
W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?
MC: When I see my films, I don’t try and get people to think about a particular topic. “Babysitter” is no exception. I just want this film be another tool for self-reflection. I want men to examine the balance, or perhaps the imbalance, in their intimate relationships, and how this affects their lives.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
MC: The pandemic was the biggest challenge. After the initial lockdown, we were the first production to shoot in Quebec. The Covid regulations were very strict. The Covid measures required that actors and crew work at a specified distance and wear masks or goggles whenever they can. For any type of closeness, I only had 15 minutes per actor. To create a staging that would eliminate distance issues, I needed to use imagination and contortions.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Please share your insights on how you got the film made.
MC: The film is co-produced between Canada, France and Canada. The majority of financing came from public funds and TV channels.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
MC: I was an actress before I started making films, but I couldn’t imagine becoming a filmmaker myself [at the time]. It was like wishing to be an astronaut. I love writing and was working on a feature film I wanted to present to a director. I discovered that I was imagining the staging as I was writing it. This led me to become interested in directing.
Nancy Grant, a producer, was my first feature film. She was very interested in my project. To see if I could direct a short film, she suggested that I write one. We made my short film, “An Extraordinary Person,” together, and then my first feature film, “A Brother’s Love.” I owe a lot to Nancy – it is partly thanks to the confidence she instilled in me that I am directing films today.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
MC. Nancy Grant gave me the best advice. It was that she told me that if my heart is set on becoming a filmmaker, then I should make time for it in my life. Director Xavier Dolan taught me the importance of hard work.
I don’t know if this counts for the worst advice, but I’ve often heard a connection between my success and the fact that I’m a woman in this business — as if women are given more of a chance.
W&H: What advice do you have for other women directors?
MC: Prioritize your time. Women are taught to organize other women. It’s very easy to take care of our partner’s projects while putting aside our own films, and our own ambitions. You can be selfish and choose a partner that will understand your ambitions while supporting you.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why?
MC: I have a lot of respect for a lot of women directors, but since I have to choose one, I think my heart would go to Agnès Varda. First, because she is one the few brave pioneers in our field and has made it easier to have a female filmmaker in a profession that is still dominated by men. Secondly, her courage and artistic talent.
Agnès Varda was one of the founders of the New Wave. She was not only a part of it, but she was also, in my opinion at least, more bold in her vision of the globe and in the way that she edited and filmed her films than any other filmmakers in this movement.
W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is creativity something you do?
MC: I had the chance to shoot “Babysitter” in the late summer of 2020. I was occupied for over a year with the film, including post-production. It allowed me to survive a part of the pandemic.
At the moment, I’m preparing my next shoot scheduled for next September, and I’m moving forward with the writing of another film. It’s not always easy to find creative space in this anxiety-inducing time, but sitting on my hands makes me even more anxious, so I have to push myself to create.
W&H: The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What are your suggestions for making it more inclusive?
MC: I don’t know the issues in the American industry, but I’m a big believer in following quotas to encourage representation. It’s a way that may seem artificial at first, but eventually becomes normalized over the years. It encourages interest and promotes ideas that young minorities can succeed in this field by having a mirror image of themselves on the screen and role models who look like it.
Source: Women And Hollywood