Last Party tells the story of Angela, Alexander, Lily, and Ethan who attend a graduation party at their common friend Romain’s house. There’s drugs and alcohol involved, of course, but the presence of a peculiar entity is what pushes these characters to confront what is actually troubling them. All of these kids try their best to enjoy the night, but given how they are about to start the next chapter of their lives, they don’t have any other option but to tackle their inner demons. I sat down for a virtual chat with the director of the film, Nicolas Dozol, who explained the process of making Last Party has been shot in one continuous take, his cinematic influences, and more.
What inspired you to make Last Party?
“I was a trainee at Swiss TV RTS when I had the idea of making this film. I had to work on an issue about #richkids and show the negative impact of posting their wealth on social networks. I started to write down several ideas, with the main aim of bringing people together, even though they come from different social classes and the time frame is a single party.”
How did you decide to make the film look like it’s been done in one continuous shot?
“What interests me most in cinema is the transition between reality and fantasy. The idea was to make a film that gave the impression of unfolding in real-time, which is why I used the technical process of long takes so that what happens to the characters is experienced in the same feeling by the audience. The aim is to create a choreography between the characters’ movements and the camera’s movements so that they blend seamlessly. These long takes also allow us to amplify the relationships and transitions between characters, by practicing glances between them and exploiting different points of view through various storytelling techniques. As a dancer and choreographer, I wanted to make the film as one big choreography.”
What are some of the challenges of making a film look like it’s one continuous shot? Did you run into any hiccups that you didn’t anticipate while planning and staging the one-shot style of filmmaking?
“To prevent transitions from malfunctioning as much as possible. With the cinematographer, we tested the technical cut and shot all the shots directly on the set for two days, three weeks before shooting. This gave us a clear idea of what was feasible and what would work. Then, at the time of shooting, after the end of each night, the transitions were edited to make sure they worked. One of the main difficulties was to switch from daylight interiors to daylight exteriors without cutting and therefore modifying the settings. The sun was so bright that we had to use an ND filter.”
Most of your cast is made of relatively new actors. How did you prepare them for this one-shot process of shooting the film?
“There was a lot of discussion about their characters before the shoot. Then a first rehearsal with all the main actors for one of the end sequences that brings together all four main characters. The rest was done on the set, as the whole film is only shot at night, so we rehearsed during the day and then shot at night.”
On top of being a one-shot film, Last Party is also completely shot in one location. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of setting the entire narrative in a singular location?
“I’d say the advantage of behind closed doors is that it saves time, as there’s no need to transport materials and redo installations. To make up for this time saving, I asked the cinematographer to light the house as if we were shooting in a studio so that there would be as few light movements as possible. I’d say the disadvantage is that you have to adapt to the location because there’s not as much freedom as on a studio set. But it does allow you to be creative and use the space to the full.”
Without spoiling anything, of course, can you tell us a little about what was the thought process behind crafting the character arcs of Angela, Alexander, Lily, and Ethan?
“I chose to write the screenplay with four people, surrounded myself with screenwriters from my graduating class, and worked on the film for two and a half years. The concept behind the narrative is that four characters make up a story. Each part of the film focuses on one of the characters. Each script writer wrote the part of only one of the four characters, and thanks to a pre-established narrative line we managed to build a paced story.”
Was there anything supernatural going on in the film? Or was it just a result of the drinks and drugs the characters were consuming?
“The film is a mix of different genres. I’ve used the fantastic to illustrate the inner angst we can feel depending on the situation we’re in. I think it’s not necessarily only alcohol and drugs that make us feel bad, it can also be those around us or ourselves, depending on how we feel and live our lives.”
You’re not shy about your influences as there are posters of Donnie Darko, Mulholland Drive, and Mysterious Skin in the film. So, how have these films or its directors shaped your idea of cinema?
“I chose these films because they brought emotional power and opened my mind to what could be done in cinema. I’m a great admirer of David Lynch’s work, and his artistic approach has helped me find ways of expression in writing, visuals and sound. I find Gregg Araki’s work to be a representation of the beauty of the world we live in, despite dramatic and tragic events. Two main sequences from the film Donnie Darko inspired me to create Last Party: the first High School scene and the Halloween party.”
Did you have any alternate endings in mind or did you always intend to conclude it on that ambiguous note?
“I like the idea that an ending can be interpreted in a personal way and that spectators are free to choose their own interpretation.”
And what kind of thoughts & opinions, overall, would you want audiences to walk away with after watching Last Party?
“The movie represents the transition between teenage and adult life during one night, during a party. It’s part of an exploration of the emotions we feel when we have to deal with the changes in our lives.”