Vincent Perez
Does beauty stem from the same alchemist’s blend in the world of movies or photography?
Whatever the type of camera, I’m always looking for that moment of truth when something happens. That fraction of a second when the individual facing me emerges and draws closer to his or her innermost being at that exact moment. Beauty arises precisely from this process of letting go.
Your portraits feature intense, almost unsettling gazes. How do you capture these emotions?
What interests me is when the veil drops. I try to create an intimate mood in order to connect with the subject of the portrait and to share something profound. That’s what happened with Johnny Hallyday. I photographed the individual, not the star, because he is the one who moves me. It is indeed rare to see him reveal that much of himself in a photo. With Michel Bouquet, we chatted, laughed and cried together in his backstage dressing room. We had a really special time together.
Johnny Hallyday
As far as the photo of the Russian fashion model “Tanya” is concerned, it was taken just after her stunning photo shoot, as she succumbed to a moment of fatigue. Her eyes say it all as the bare truth literally shoots through us. It is this dizzying sense that I love to capture.
On which projects are you currently working?
I’m preparing a book of portraits on 21st century Russians. I’m performing in a stage version of Les liaisons dangereuses alongside my dear friend Dominique Blanc. And the film that I have been preparing for eight years Alone in Berlin starring Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson Nielsen, is to be released in 2016. All this marks the start of a new chapter in my life…
Based on an interview by Michèle Wouters
