Denis Villeneuve: “If I had done the sandworm sequence myself, I’d still be shooting today” – LFF Screen Talk

For a filmmaker who eschews heavy dialogue in his work, Denis Villeneuve certainly has a way with words. In conversation with actor and comedian Brett Goldstein, the French-Canadian director articulated the journey of his fascinating career with passion at this year’s BFI London Film Festival.

It was a notably fluid conversation, which isn’t surprising considering Villeneuve’s emphasis on preparation before filming: “The intellectual preparation is very important.” Evidently, he was well-prepared to enlighten and intrigue a packed-out Royal Festival Hall.

Villeneuve always wanted to be a filmmaker. He cited Steven Spielberg as his first influence, recalling “I remember reading about him, watching ‘making ofs’… it felt like a fantastic way to explore reality.” When asked about his early work, he described them humorously as “very clumsy. The French would say ‘maladresse’.”

After two feature films, August 32nd on Earth (1998) and Maelström (2000), Villeneuve would not return to directing for years, recognising his need to sincerely study the craft: “Maybe I made my first film too early.” Before his return, he studied every aspect of filmmaking he could, including acting – though when Goldstein pressed on this, Villeneuve promised he was a terrible actor. Recounting his brief time in front of the camera, he said: “I did one audition for a friend. I cut myself and was pissing blood everywhere.” He showed Goldstein a scar on his hand, a memento from the audition that reminds him never to act again.

As a director, Villeneuve has already made a lasting impact on cinema and shows no sign of slowing down. He described his process very simply: “I’m there to understand the artist in front of me.” Observation is important to Villeneuve’s practice, which was reiterated when Goldstein brought up Villeneuve’s third feature. “Polytechnique [2009] was a movie that was inspired by the idea of trying to observe reality.” The film is based on the École Polytechnique massacre in 1989, in which a gunman murdered 14 young women.

Villeneuve described the event as “a misogynist crime”. “I identified a lot with the students. So, I agreed to do that film. It was by far the toughest movie I made in my life.” He also opened up about his preference for reducing dialogue, “I always dreamed to make a movie, which will be perceived as a normal movie, but without dialogue.”

So the decision to adapt Incendies (2010), a stage play rich with dialogue, came as a surprise. Villeneuve recollected: “It took me years to adapt that to the screen… but it was a massive privilege.”

The Academy Award-nominated Incendies – about twins digging into their mother’s hidden past – was his ticket to Hollywood. He has been working in Los Angeles ever since, although that was never really his intention: “I was not necessarily dreaming to go to Los Angeles. But Hollywood came to me… I just wanted to experience what it was like.” That experience, which produced hits like Enemy (2013), Prisoners (2013) and Sicario (2015), proved to be a fruitful one. Villeneuve has fond memories of his early days in Hollywood and the opportunities it brought, joking: “I had tasted what it is like to make a movie with money. Yeah. The power.”

He also made some noteworthy friends in LA. When discussing Sicario, he recalled, “I was working with Roger Deakins for the second time, who is a master.” The legendary cinematographer has collaborated with Villeneuve on three films and isn’t the only collaborator keen to return. Stars including Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin and David Dastmalchian are also frequent partners. Perhaps it’s his discernible modesty that keeps them coming back.

Throughout his chat with Goldstein, Villeneuve would take the time to reiterate how he could not do anything by himself: “I’m not alone. There is a crew around me.” But perhaps his favourite collaborator is production assistant and filmmaker Tanya Lapointe. He commented that she “perfectly understood my direction. She knew exactly my vision… she’s my wife also.”

Villeneuve spent most of his time with Goldstein discussing both chapters of the Dune franchise. He mentioned the original book: “Doing Dune, I tried to approach it in a [similar] way to what Frank Herbert intended.”

When speaking about the infamous sandworm riding scene in Dune: Part Two (2024), which famously took 44 days to film, Villeneuve noted “Each shot was complex… If I had done it myself, I’d still be shooting today.”

He also shed light on how women are at the centre of the Dune story, particularly Chani: “The character of Chani was different from the book. She became more prominent.” Going back to his love of less dialogue, Villeneuve praised actor Zendaya’s subtlety: “Just the reactions… and we understand the tragedy.”

Goldstein brought this eloquent conversation to a close by asking for some advice for young creators. After describing how intimate one’s relationship with the camera should be, Villeneuve left the audience inspired with one final call to action: “Go on the streets with your iPhone… and shoot.”