Dear Diary
A cathartic journey through memory lane
Directed by Clémentine Decremps
As the worlds of Ruby Wilson and Clémentine Decremps converge in this aesthetically pleasing eccentric short film, we are reminded that sometimes, it's the seemingly trivial thoughts that keep us from truly living. Through its intimate, vibrant and playful narrative, Dear Diary artfully encapsulates the essence of human complexity, inviting us to embrace the quirky, unpredictable nature of our own existence.
Are the stories shared in Dear Diary based on events that happened to you? And what was the inspiration behind the film?
Dear Diary is the prototype of an autobiographical research through an alter ego character played by Ruby Wilson. The original idea was to reflect on the notion of "being" and the plurality of the self inscribed in time. Yesterday's self, to whom this or that happened, has to merge with today's self, and we are now several selves filled with embarrassing anecdotes, and yet we have to go on living with it. Through this prism, I wanted to evoke the idea of rumination, which is something I'm very prone to.
Dear Diary is a cathartic letter to my past selves. Each scene personifies a real memory narrated, more or less faithfully. But in addition, by working with Ruby, we were able to inject her experience of similar events and create a kind of hybrid memory that navigates between her experiences and mine.
These memories are staged in an eccentric, ironic, colourful way. The aim is not to reenact the real events but rather reinterpret it through the lens of humour and kindness to ourselves, playing around the idea of subjectivity.
As well as being the director, you also took care of creating the overall mood of the piece, working with a range of contrasting colours that work wonderfully together. What was your approach?
Dear Diary is my inner world, a colourful world that seems both old and modern, a flowery but dissonant world. I needed to create an atmosphere that recalled this idea of memory, something familiar but sublimated. I love working in studios and creating sets that aren't intended to be realistic, and I felt that with the subject matter, it was possible to go for fairly straightforward proposals without distorting the essence, or even reinforcing it. I collect a lot of old, kitschy things, and I love flowers and pastel colors. I think the dear diary set simply reflects my personal tastes.
Furthermore, everything we brought into the set came from our own interiors, which for me added to this notion of intimacy. A few borrowed elements were added, but it was essential to play with real elements that belonged to us, in order to stick to the theme. For example, the fluffy toys are my 3 years old daughter’s, and the dog is Ruby’s.
The team involved in creating this film was very small. It was very important to maintain an intimate feel to the energy of the set, and so we were very few and had to cover several positions. Peter Bromme is a wonderful DOP with whom I've had the opportunity to work several times, and our good mutual understanding enables us to work quickly and efficiently with a lot of fun.
The styling is everything. As we can see, Ruby Wilson who played as the main character must also have brought her own wardrobe. Can you share with us how you collaborated together and how you went about picking these very iconic outfits?
CD: Ruby interpreted the scenes and suggested her outfits which I really loved. I think they elevated the art direction of each memory and I am a real fan of her unique sense of taste, trendy and ironic at the same time. I think it developed even more the alter ego character and made it more contemporary.
RW: Clothes are extremely important to me and are a huge part of how I communicate in my private life. I believe clothes have a lot of power to support storytelling, so I was very excited that Clementine gave me so much trust and freedom when it came to the styling for Dear Diary. I did indeed use all my own clothes, shoes and accessories which of course was in line with the autobiographical and intimate nature of the film. My sense of style is very playful, so it was great to be able to completely realise my vision without anyone trying to make anything more - for want of a better word - boring. I used to work as a stylist and costume designer and was often frustrated by the lack of risk taking and how seriously everyone took themselves.
“The aim is not to reenact the real events but rather reinterpret it through the lens of humour and kindness to ourselves, playing around the idea of subjectivity.”
What are you working on next?
I've directed two other short films that I'm currently taking to festivals: The Birth of Naikee (BFI Flare, AIFVF) and Cimex Lectularius (Chéries-Chéris), and I'm developing a documentary-fiction, as well as other projects with Ruby in the same vein as Dear Diary. I'm sure our collaboration is only just starting. I also work as a film editor in art and cinema and am currently quite busy with this, which I really enjoy. I feel very lucky to be able to learn a lot from collaborators from all over the world with very singular universes.
Director & Scriptwriter: Clémentine Decremps
Cast: Ruby Wilson
DP: Peter Bromme
Assisted by: Dorothea Pilz
Hair & Make-up: Ruby Wilson
Styling: Ruby Wilson
Set Design: Clémentine Decremps
Sound recording: Mehdi Messouci
Editing: Clémentine Decremps
Sound Mix: Alexandre Mazarguil
Colors: Nicolas Giraldon
Music: Mehdi Messouci
Additional music: Mozart, Symphony 40
Studio: Neon Island, Berlin
Film Development: Andec