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FARGEAT:My first reaction was a big scream of joy.
I was very, very happy and really honored.
It was huge news for me, obviously.
‘The Substance’ director Coralie Fargeat (center) with Demi Moore and Dennis Quaid in CannesKristy Sparow/Getty Images
DEADLINE: This whole journey started in Cannes.
What were your thoughts when you were accepted into the main competition there?
Its a very unusual film for Cannes anyway, but its certainly an unusual film for the competition.
That was, for me, the best news when I finished the film.
And its where everything started for the movie.
The sparks really started there, with the first screening.
DEADLINE: When did you know that Demi Moore was the perfect choice?
FARGEAT:After wed met a few times.
We knew it resonated for both of us in such a strong way that we were 100% aligned.
But I really needed to share with her everything else that the movie was going to be about.
I knew then that she would be able to take this risk.
DEADLINE:The Substancehas had a very long life since Cannes.
People are going back for more, to see it again and again.
Why do you think they have so much affection for this film?
FARGEAT:What Im so happy about is the fact that the movie stays with people.
And for me, that was really what I had at heart when I wrote that film.
I really wanted the film to have a long life, to not disappear instantly after its release.
And I feel thats really what happened, because the audiences really took the movie home with them.
To me that says a lot; I think the sincerity of the message has really reached people.
Its also a very visual experience, [in terms of] image and sound.
Its something that stays with you.
Its like a corporeal experience.
Its also something that can affect people very deeply.
So, Im really beyond happy about the way audiences have embraced the movie.
DEADLINE: So, whats next for you?
It was far too long betweenRevengeandThe Substance.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
What are your plans?
FARGEAT:I already know what I want to work on next.
I already have an idea I want to write.
The only thing I need to have is time to get back into the writing bubble!
But my brain is already starting to work again, in a kind of reptilian way.
DEADLINE: Do you seeThe Substanceas a victory for genre filmmaking?
FARGEAT:Oh, totally.
But for me, when I do a film, I dont think about genre.
I do what I love and what Im passionate about.
For me, every film is cinema.
When I was younger, I was…
I dont know the term in English, but I was not very good at school.
I felt I was not good enough.
To me, thats the thing.
