The Oscar-winning director on his new movie about the 1969 moon landing, that infamous best film mix-up, and finding time for a honeymoon
Damien Chazelle, 33, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to a Canadian mother (a history teacher) and a French father (a computer science professor). He released his first feature film, the jazz musical Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, aged 24, but it was Whiplash that yielded a career breakthrough in 2014. He capitalised on this with La La Land, which last year won six Oscars including best director for Chazelle though it was mistakenly announced as best picture before the award went to Moonlight. His latest film, First Man, follows Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) through years of preparation for the moon landing in 1969.
This feels like a very different film to your last one whereLa La Land was flamboyant and emotional, First Man is reserved and claustrophobic. What persuaded you to take it on?
I liked doing something that felt like the polar opposite of La La Land, just as La La Land felt like the polar opposite of Whiplash, at least emotionally. But I was also just interested in exploring a different world this was my first time doing something that wasnt directly tied to my own life experience.
Were you interested in space travel as a kid?
Yeah, but no more so than your average kid. I would say I was more interested in movies about space travel than space travel itself. I always wanted to do art, whether it was music or movies or drawing or storytelling. Certainly I learned more about space travel by doing this movie than ever before. It took one trip to Houston early on to slap me in the face and go, oh shit, if I actually want to do this I have got to buckle up and learn.
How was this story personal for you?
I related to it as a movie about trying to turn dreams into reality, somewhat similar to La La Land and Whiplash [which was inspired by Chazelles own experience as an obsessively focused jazz drummer]. I also wanted to give a sense of the work involved in becoming an astronaut, which movies tend to obscure the sweaty hands, the vomit on the shirt, the dirty, gritty, cobbled-together aspect of it. When I first saw one of these capsules for real, it was so much less gilded than how I imagined it. I wouldnt get into one for 10 minutes, let alone the time it takes to fly to the moon. I wanted the audience to feel like theyre inside that capsule, screaming to get out.
Republican senator Marco Rubio raised a stink about you not showing the US flag being planted on the moon. Were you anticipating that reaction?
No, not really. The whole point of the film was to tell the untold story, to look at things that we didnt know, that we didnt see. So it was purely an aesthetic choice there was nothing political in it at all.
Donald Trump joined in, saying: Its almost like theyre embarrassed at the achievement coming from America, I think its a terrible thing I wouldnt even want to watch the movie. Do you feel sad about losing that particular viewer?
I feel sad about losing any viewer. I hope he changes his mind. I think anyone who sees the film will see the patriotism that I think is fully a part of it.
This is your second film with Ryan Gosling. Whats unique about him as an actor?
He does a deep dive [into the character] and has some of Neil Armstrongs obsessiveness and determination to get things right. In between takes hed be huddled off with one of the astronauts we had on set, asking: Did that look OK? Was it this button or that button? For the next scene I have to pull the RCS switch do you pull them fast or slow? Hes just like a hawk for all those things.
Sorry to make you relive the best picture fiasco in 2017, but what was going through your head when the mix-up with Moonlight was revealed?
[laughs] I was so out of it and I didnt really hear what was going on for most of the time. After the Moonlight people started crowding on the stage, someone had to come and explain to me what was happening. What people watching the telecast maybe dont realise is that, when youre in an awards season, youre seeing people from the other films all the time and you become buddies. So that aspect of it was really nice. Who walks home with what prize is maybe a little less important, but I was certainly happy to see it go to them.
Youve spoken in the past about having an obsessive streak with your work. Hows your work-life balance now?
Maybe its better than it used to be. Its helpful to have people to force me to clock off. My wife [actor Olivia Hamilton] is very instrumental in that regard. I think I would be either crumpled up in a corner somewhere or just a lesser human being without her.
You got married recently.
We got married actually we eloped last December. It was our little secret city hall marriage. Weve been trying to find little pockets of time for a honeymoon, but Im afraid we havent managed it yet.
What do you do to relax?
I love reading. Watching films, obviously. Listening to music. Also, its really lovely to be in places like London or Paris and walk the city. Ive always liked that idea of the flneur, the street walker. Just wandering can be endlessly inspiring.
Whats next?
Talking about Paris, Ill be returning there next year to shoot the first two episodes of a Netflix series called The Eddy. Its about a jazz club run by an expat with a motley crew of locals and foreigners who all gather there. It follows their daily life in and out of the club a bit of an ensemble piece. Meanwhile, Im trying to write the next movie, but its too early to say what itll be about. So theres stuff in the pipeline, but Im [also] pretty excited to have a little bit of uncertainty.
First Man is released on 12 October
