Interview by Paul Salfen
In the labyrinthine world of cinema, where genres collide and expectations are subverted, filmmaker Eugène Green’s The Tree of Knowledge emerges as a singular work—a meditative fable that defies categorization. Premiering at Fantastic Fest, the film captivated audiences with its blend of spiritual inquiry, fantastical elements, and a piercing critique of modern mass tourism. In an exclusive conversation with Paul Salfen of AMFM Magazine, Green, a New York-born, Paris-based auteur, unraveled the layers of his latest creation, offering insight into its meticulous craft and profound intentions.
A Cinematic Allegory Rooted in Myth
The Tree of Knowledge centers on Gaspard, a teenager from Lisbon’s suburbs, portrayed with raw intensity by Rui Pedro Silva. Ensnared by the malevolent Ogre—a figure who has struck a Faustian bargain with the Devil—Gaspard becomes a pawn in a sinister scheme to lure tourists, transforming them into animals before their demise. Escaping with a donkey and a dog, companions he comes to cherish, Gaspard finds refuge in an enchanted manor where he encounters the spirit of Queen D. Maria I of Portugal. As the Ogre pursues, the narrative unfolds as a modern myth, weaving together themes of free will, spiritual awakening, and resistance to the commodification of culture.
For Green, the biblical “Tree of Knowledge” serves as a potent metaphor. “It’s about the beginning of free will, the ability to discern right from wrong,” he explains, framing the film as a catalyst for internal renewal amid Europe’s tourism boom. The Ogre’s exploitation of tourists reflects a broader critique of a world where cultural heritage is reduced to a backdrop for selfies, a sentiment Green articulates with sharp clarity: “A tourist makes Disneyland out of every place they visit, whereas a traveler is marveled by difference.”
A Vision Meticulously Crafted
Green’s filmmaking process is as deliberate as it is distinctive. “I see each frame when I write the script,” he tells Salfen, describing a collaboration with his longtime cinematographer, Rafael Brown, who intuitively translates his vision. Written originally in French with a Portuguese translation, the dialogue in The Tree of Knowledge balances stylized lyricism with emotional authenticity. “The dialogues express real emotions in real situations, but their style is not realistic,” Green notes, emphasizing the film’s departure from conventional naturalism.
This precision extends to the film’s visual language, where actors often face the camera directly, a technique that evokes theatrical intimacy and unsettles traditional cinematic norms. “When you speak with someone face-to-face, a great part of the expression is through the gaze,” Green explains. By positioning the camera between characters, he captures their “interiority,” allowing audiences to feel the weight of their emotions with startling immediacy. This approach, he argues, bypasses the artifice of hidden cameras in traditional cinema, offering a direct conduit to the soul.
The Challenge of Animals and the Joy of Creation
The inclusion of animals—particularly a donkey and a dog—adds both whimsy and complexity to the production. Green recounts with amusement the challenges of working with these co-stars. “The donkey was a professional cinema actor, disciplined but occasionally with the caprices of a diva,” he says, while the dog proved less cooperative, often doing “the exact opposite of what we asked.” Yet these unpredictable elements underscore Green’s commitment to capturing the “invisible part of real life,” where spontaneity reveals deeper truths.
For Green, filmmaking is an act of joy, a shared endeavor that transcends the difficulties of production. “Creating films like this gives me joy,” he tells Salfen. “It’s a joy I share with the actors, the crew, and the producers.” This sense of communal creation extends to audiences, whom Green hopes will find hope and emotional resonance in the film. “My first objective is that they would have been moved by the film,” he says, encouraging viewers to engage with its ideas—particularly the notion of resisting violence without perpetuating it.
A Maverick’s Advice to Aspiring Filmmakers
Green’s journey as a filmmaker is as unconventional as his work. Self-taught, with no formal cinema education, he founded Le Théâtre de la Sapience in 1977, staging poetic and baroque theater before transitioning to film with his award-winning debut, Toutes les Nuits (2001). His advice to budding filmmakers at Fantastic Fest is refreshingly unorthodox: “Do what you really want to do, even if it doesn’t correspond to the norm or the rules of cinema.” For Green, the constraints of mainstream filmmaking—particularly in the United States—are a challenge worth overcoming. “It’s much harder in the United States than in Europe to come out of the mainstream,” he acknowledges, “but it’s worth the effort.”
A Traveler, Not a Tourist
As The Tree of Knowledge makes its mark at Fantastic Fest, Green remains a traveler in the cinematic landscape, seeking alterity and embracing difference. His film, with its blend of fantasy, philosophy, and social commentary, invites audiences to do the same—to approach the unfamiliar with openness and curiosity. “They should just receive it as something intimate,” Green advises, urging viewers to let go of preconceptions and immerse themselves in the experience.
With a new short feature already shot in a forest on a shoestring budget, Green’s creative journey shows no signs of slowing. For now, The Tree of Knowledge stands as a testament to his vision—a film that challenges, moves, and ultimately inspires. As Fantastic Fest audiences discover this gem, they are likely to leave not as tourists, but as travelers, forever changed by the encounter.
