Russh Magazine

Hailing from Paris, Vincent Moon cites himself as "the worst film director on the planet". We disagree. His short films and ‘accidental’ projects have won him prestigious awards, and seen him wander the world to collaborate with some pretty great people along the way. Having showcased at Melbourne’s Sugar Mountain Festival last weekend, we chat to him about where his ideas originate.

How would you define the meaning of ‘creativity’? 
Being so open to the world around you and its multiple possibilities that you just want to play with the rules.

How did you get into the world of videography?
I spent many years learning about the history of images and photography - what a frame says, and doesn't say - until I was more attracted by the more complex language, including movements and sounds. I moved to making short films, but it was all by accident, nothing planned.

Creating videos is very different to other visual arts; can you guide me through the process of how your work develops? 
I am the worst film director on the planet, in the sense that most of the people tend to think of cinema as very constructed and prepared. I never plan anything. Usually, I try to meet the musicians a few days before and talk about life, then we pick up a place to meet, give ourselves a direction and that’s it. I like to not know, to not have any expectations. If I plan things, I am always disappointed how it turns out, but if I don't think about it before, I can just enjoy the beautiful chaos happening.

How would you best describe your work in a sentence?
Moving in space in quest of the perfect rhythm.

How do you respond to criticism against your work?
I don't respond, I listen.

Where is the most inspirational place you have been?
Colombia. I had a life changing experience during a shamanic experience, and since then have been questioning how various forms of traditional cultures access that knowledge and perception by the use of music, trance, shamans, rituals etc ... Drawing links between animism and the use of new technologies, and how those two approaches are soon merging ... I call it my quest of mystical anarchism. Recently, I have been obsessed with learning about other people’s perceptions of the world. 

Who has inspired you the most?
I think you are as a human being simply the sum of all your experiences. Everything, every day, if you know how to look at it, proves as incredible inspiration. I don't watch films anymore, so it's hard for me to relate to the world of cinema. 

The internet provides a fantastic platform for growing artists; what do you feel is the best thing about this modern technology?
The core of the internet’s technology is a very anarchist system, actually - we tend to forget it, but internet is the exact opposite to the technology of the television. To me, that is the real beauty of it, the power of it: everybody is equal, nobody controls anything. 

What’s next? Where’s next? 
Touring around Australia and having a great time. Exploring the Philippines and it’s traditional culture; researching some animist rituals in Ethiopia; and experimenting with ethnography in Madagascar. 

Playlist to accompany your work?

1. Madibong prayer chant from the Toraja Valley, Indonesia

2. One Man Nation performance from Singapore

3. Aboriginal singings from Taiwan

4. Shamanic singing from Columbia

5. Powerful drumming from an Umbanda ritual of Belém do Pará

6. Late night samba from São Paulo.

CATCH PARISIAN FILMMAKER VINCENT MOON SCREEN HIS WORK AT THE ROOFTOP CINEMA THIS WEDNESDAY