Oscars: Patrice Vermette, shadow winner, criticizes the Academy

Along with fellow Hungarian Zsuzsanna Sipos, the Québécois won the Oscar for best art direction – one of the preregistered awards – for their work on DuneDenis Villeneuve’s science fiction film.

I don’t think it makes any sense for eight categories to be relegated like this.He said by phone from Los Angeles the day after his award.

Creates more divisions, makes [en sorte] that some are more equal than othersadds, alluding to the famous aphorism of. Animal farmby George Orwell.

Respect end credits

The Academy’s new approach, which has the effect of snubbing certain film craftsmen at Hollywood’s most important ceremony, upsets Patrice Vermette. He recalls with nostalgia when, as a child, he watched the Oscars with his family. The only nights, except Christmas and New Year’s Eve, when he was allowed to stay up late.

My parents were not connected in any way to the movie business, but they were movie lovers,” he says. And for them, it’s important to celebrate the people, all the people, all the categories, the craftsmen, the artists, who make a film.

When we watched movies at home or at the cinema, it wasn’t a matter of getting up before the end of the credits, you had to look at all the names. It’s a kind of respect that I find inspiring, that makes you see that it takes several people to make a film..

Disappointment for Denis Villeneuve

However, he was happy to receive his Oscar in a room that was not half empty. I was pleasantly surprised to see everyone show up before the official ceremony. People like Denis were present at the pre-ceremony, which gave people something to talk about.

The Montreal-born artist, nominated for his third Oscar, also regretted that his friend and collaborator Denis Villeneuve was not nominated in the Best Director category. When you get 10 nominations, the movie didn’t get made.he says with a hint of sarcasm.

Patrice Vermette was delighted with his Oscar, and equally happy with the other five statuettes (editing, sound, score, cinematography and visual effects) he won Sunday night Dunethe most awarded film of this 94^e ceremony.

It’s a great vintage, and it’s a credit to Denis, who was the great captain of our ship; people said it was a book that couldn’t be adapted, and Denis did it masterfully, and inspired us.

” Only when everyone pulls on the same side to support the director’s vision do you get the right results. “

The invaluable contribution of Jean-Marc Vallée

In his acceptance speech, Patrice Vermette looked to the heavens and thanked Jean-Marc Vallée, his friend. He wanted to pay tribute to the Quebec filmmaker, who died suddenly in December and changed the trajectory of his career.

It’s very important because Jean-Marc and I were good collaborators, we were always very good friends, even though we haven’t worked together since Café de Floresays

I was doing commercials, I was a workaholic, and he was the one who convinced me to do feature films. He really insisted that I say yes to C.R.A.Z.Y.and then for Young Victoria. Without a doubt, I would not be here without him.

Back to Dune

Patrice Vermette will fly to Budapest on Tuesday to work on the sequel to Dunewhich began pre-production in November. Shooting will begin on July 18. The film is scheduled for release in October 2023.

The language, we have already developed it, but we are also going somewhere elsesays the art director, who worked for two years to design the sets and visual palette of Duna.

To make a good second part, you don’t have to serve the same dish you served the first time. A new, higher bar has been set.

We are children playing in a big sandboxHe says, referring to the main component of Dune, the nickname for the planet Arrakis on which most of Frank Herbert’s story takes place.

Reflections on a paradox

Finally, Patrice Vermette laments Will Smith’s slap at Chris Rock, which has gone viral.

It was a big slap. It was strange, it resonated, we wondered if it was a joke or not. In the end it wasn’t a joke

He believes that this incident raises questions about the new priorities of the Academy, which organizes the Oscars.

We cut the speeches, but let someone who just assaulted us, live on television, giving a speech [de remerciement]regrets.