Xavier Dolan renounces leaving the cinema and announces a new project

15 October 2024 / Alice Leroy

Xavier Dolan, the iconic 35-year-old director, created a stir at the Lumière Festival in Lyon by celebrating the tenth anniversary of his cult film. Mommy. This return to the spotlight marks a turning point for the man who had considered ending his film career last year. In front of an enthusiastic and young audience, Dolan confirmed that he was preparing a new film, proving that he is not finished with the seventh art.

During his master class at Pathé Bellecour, the Quebec filmmaker spoke about his six-year hiatus since the release of Matthias et Maxime in 2019. This time of hindsight allowed him to recharge his batteries and reflect on his artistic journey. “I can’t make films one after the other just to do better than the last one,” he explained. This reflection gave birth to a new project, a genre film mixing horror and comedy, which will take place in literary Paris in 1895, a time marking the birth of cinema with the Lumière brothers.

Dolan also shared what the break taught him. "I need to feel the desire to create viscerally," he said. The director, known for the emotional intensity of his works like I killed my mother et Just the end of the world, no longer wants to embark on projects without being fully invested. This next film, which is scheduled to be shot next year, represents for him a "new chapter" in his career, a second, more sedate phase, where he will take more time to mature each project.