Olivier Theurillat
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
OLIVIER THEURILLAT IS CURRENTLY A 3RD YEAR STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HIM A FEW QUESTIONS AND HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY:
Where do you consider home and what is it like there?
Home is Madrid, Spain. I wasn’t born there, and it’s the city where I’ve spent the least consecutive years of my life. But it is where my family is, where my roots are, where I find myself at ease. I remember roaming the Madrid streets with my camera as a gateway to the city’s architecture and people. I think of an ideal Sunday afternoon, watching a Real Madrid game at a bar terrace on a sunny sidewalk. Life there happens at a different pace, we work to enjoy the small things.
What is currently inspiring you as a filmmaker?
Lately, I’ve been pulled towards gritty, realistic stories about friendship, like Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine. I’d like to explore how far loyalty between two friends can be tested. What boundaries can be pushed or how long can a debt stand? Jacques Audiard’s Un Prophete is another huge influence for me.
What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
That would be shooting “Dunya’s Day” for my good friend and director Raed Alsemari. We shot his 2nd year film last January in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Shooting in an unexplored setting was a huge learning opportunity. Also, working as Raed's cinematographer felt like a true collaboration. We spent endless hours talking and devising a visual approach to his dark comedy. Ultimately, it made us unbeatable on set and this translated onto the screen.
Olivier can be found at: