Breadcrumb Trail Links
Montreal movies Local Arts Entertainment Arts
Dolan took to Instagram Friday in a nine-page post giving more context to his thoughts shared in interviews with Spanish media this week.
Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through our links on this page.
Article content
Xavier Dolan has confirmed that he has actually, truly, unequivocally decided to stop making movies. For real.
Advertisement 2
Article content
There had been some confusion in recent days following reports in the Spanish press that the Quebec writer-director-actor was “tired” and was reconsidering his future in cinema.
Article content
“I don’t feel the need to continue with this,” Dolan told the newspaper El Mundo. “I don’t see the point in dedicating oneself to telling stories when everything around us is crumbling. Art is useless, and dedicating oneself to movies is a waste of time.”
Those comments were widely shared in media around the world, including in the Montreal Gazette. Then Dolan walked it back in an Instagram story on Thursday, saying “Of course art matters. Of course cinema isn’t a waste of time. Sometimes words are taken out of context and things are lost in translation. I’ll explain myself soon. Also, I’m fine lol.”
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
His explanation came Friday evening as Dolan took to Instagram again with a nine-page post giving more context to his thoughts while reiterating that he was indeed fed up with making movies, though he may still consider working on TV series.
“I have said I wanted to stop making films, and I feel at peace with that decision,” Dolan wrote. “Some people have told me that it is ‘only a pause, or a break’ … But my current state of mind and our current world do not inspire me to pursue what once was an inevitable vocation. However, I’m currently involved in television projects, and I intend to keep my word should they be given a go.
“Otherwise, I think this is it. I want to dedicate time to my health, my friends and my family. I also have other passions, other things I’d love to commit to. I have made that clear to El Mundo, as you’ll be able to see for yourself in the post. Our exchange was recorded, and I’ve transcribed here all of the excerpts that are at the origin of this ‘misunderstanding.’”
Advertisement 4
Article content
Dolan went on to provide more complete versions of the quotes already shared by the publication.
“I don’t need to make any more films. … I’ve made a lot of them, and it’s enough. I don’t want to go through the process of post-production again, press, travelling, answering questions, wondering if people are gonna watch my work, if it’s gonna be sold in X or X territory. I don’t want to deal with the anxiety of performing, being successful, being loved. I don’t want to depend on other people’s reaction. I want to be free.”
On the next page, still sharing full quotes from the interview with El Mundo, Dolan says that film is no longer as important to him as it previously was.
“What once seemed like a necessity to me, an urgency, even, has become secondary.”
Advertisement 5
Article content
He goes on, in the quotes shared, to describe himself as a perfectionist who gives his all and wants every detail to be perfect when making a film: “I won’t have it any other way. I won’t be cheaper. I won’t be faster. … I’ll be, always, free in how I create, and free to create when I choose to, or choose not to.
“The joy I’ve felt all these years on sets, I felt it because, the more I kept going, the more time I was given. Cause I bought that freedom, and bought that time. I renounced my salary, as did my producer Nancy (Grant). I worked with actors willing to be paid less, and who realized, once on set, that the money we were given was spent on time indeed, and tapestry, and cranes, and rugs, film stock, and filmmaking. It’s expensive, and long, and often lonely, but it’s worth it. It’s worth it for the people who see it. Because it matters to them.
Advertisement 6
Article content
“And it mattered to me.”
On the next page, Dolan lamented that from “all of these words, El Mundo kept ‘Art is meaningless, and cinema is a waste of time.’” He also stated that he had been misquoted.
“I felt the need to make it clear that, I, for one, do not consider ‘Art’ to be meaningless, nor ‘Cinema’ to be a waste of time,” he wrote. “I think art offers remedy to our suffocating realities, and saves lives. I’ll always be there to encourage artists, and filmmakers. I just don’t wish to be making films again, as they do not make me happy anymore. But they have. And so have you.”
On the final page of the post, Dolan reassured fans he is not done with telling stories altogether.
“It all boils down to this,” he said. “I might direct series. I do not wish to direct films anymore. The world is not in a good place. And I want to help as much as I can. I have, silently, been doing that. But I want to be more vocal about it. My projects, now, are elsewhere, I believe.
“But I’m fine,” he added. “Don’t expect a bleached buzzcut selfie of me tomorrow… ;-)”
tdunlevy@postmedia.com
Quebec filmmaker Xavier Dolan might not be done with movies after all
Dunlevy: Xavier Dolan reawakens fans’ interest with first series
Comments
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.
Join the Conversation