LES ALGUES MALÉFIQUES

Interview with Antonin Peretjatko

Like Yellow Saturday (2021), Evil Seaweed is a political satire, but also a horror film and super-hero movie. Why this mixt of genres?

Genre films have always been a subtle way of addressing or denouncing social issues such as racism or mental uniformity. Brittany is not particularly known for promoting the fight against pollution, as whistle-blowers have been threatened by the food industry. So, it seemed only natural that the idea of talking about green algae through a genre film was a good idea.

The stylised characters, the frenetic pace of the film, which is reminiscent of comics and American graphic novels – were they your inspiration?

The characters are like those in comic books such as Scooby Doo or B-movie science fiction films. However, the iconoclastic character in the film is different from American movies where religion and moral order usually save the world. Here, zombies are created via productivity

You chose Alma Jodorowsky as your super-heroine and other familiar actors from your other films like Estéban. How did you approach the casting?

Casting is always a delicate operation when it’s a group film. The choice is made according to the capacity to set the pace of a scene and to understand the absurdity of a situation through slapstick. Characters must also be devoid of monotony, which is why you have to invent rough patches, even for nice characters, so as to keep the audience guessing.

The eco-warriors and vegans are as laughable as their political opponent – the corrupt mayor. Do you shoot from all sides to condemn everyone’s excess?

Stupidity doesn’t have a side – it is embodied in our time by all those who tell other people how they should live. The film shows the clash between two irreconcilable lifestyles. This is symbolised by the shots of shoes. If the film is ostensibly on the ecologists’ side, it also exposes their shortcomings and complexities.

Interview by Olivier Pierre