Interview with Hervé Hadmar

9 July 2015

 

This is not a picture of Monsieur Hadmar. Thankfully.

The following feature is available free for reproduction in full or in part.

 

Witnesses, the new French drama on Channel 4, is a bleakly gripping new police thriller in the Nordic noir mould. Someone is digging up bodies of the recently deceased, and arranging them in cosy domestic settings in show homes around a small town on France’s northern coast. But who? And why? And what’s it got to do with a former local police chief? Here, writer and director Hervé Hadmar reveals more about his inspirations for this smash-hit thriller.

 

You wrote and directed Witnesses. Explain a little about the premise of the show.

The goal was to make a Nordic thriller, dark, strange and beautiful. I loved shows like The Killing and The Bridge – as well as the British show The Fall. I wanted to write and direct a show like that – or at least try to. It’s a Nordic thriller with one question in it: Does the ideal family exist?

 

Why do you find the Nordic thrillers so inspiring?

It’s my taste, you know? It’s just the kind of thing I love to watch. I just want to make shows that I would like watching on TV. That’s it.

 

Your main character is a fiery and ambitious woman police officer. Policing is still quite male-dominated – why did you decide to make her a woman?

It was to evoke the fact that it is still hard in modern society today to be a respected cop if you are a woman. She wants to be in the field, but she also wants to be able to be a woman. But it’s hard to run with high heels.

 

Did you have any actors in mind for the roles when you wrote Witnesses?

I had Thierry Lhermitte in mind for the role of Paul Maisonneuve, but I didn’t know Marie Dompnier – in fact, nobody in the TV or movie business really knew her. She came from theatre, from the stage. I met her two years ago on a training day in front of the cameras for comedians. There were 30, I think. I was there for only four hours, worked with Marie for five minutes, and that was it. I knew she was Sandra. I immediately loved her energy, her gestures, the way she moved, the way she spoke. I simply had no choice at all, she was Sandra.

 

It’s set in northern France in winter. It’s very grey – is that an important aspect of the drama?

It is essential. The atmosphere is very important. The mystery is everywhere – on the fields, in the wind, in the sky, everywhere. So, for me, places like the North of France are full of this strange, dark romantic mood.

 

Does it help that it’s so flat and featureless?

Yes, of course – because you see the horizon line. That’s very important, because the characters also lose themselves in the horizon line.

 

You wrote and directed the drama yourself – do you prefer being able to direct your own work? Would it be difficult for you to give your work to someone else to direct?

It could be a relief, because it is hard work. But it’s my own way of controlling things. I’m not a control freak, but I want to make the best possible shows with the time and money I have. My only goal is to be sure that the show will respect the premise, the story and the audience, of course. A lot of great shows are made around the world today – the audience wants beautiful, edgy, thrilling shows with great images, great sound, great music and great storytelling.

 

How was the drama received in France?

Very, very well. It had incredible ratings. It was great.

 

What does it mean to you to have it showing in the UK?

We are living in a new golden age for TV shows. If a story is good, it will be shown all over the world. Witnesses has been or will be aired in a lot of countries, from Australia to Germany, Israel to Russia, and of course now in the UK. And of course it’s an honour for me to be aired on Channel 4. I’ve always loved Channel 4, it’s a great television broadcaster. It’s thrilling for me.

 

European drama is suddenly very popular in the UK. Why do you think that is?

It’s the same all around the world. We all want to see great shows, as an audience we are becoming more and more curious. And the technology has meant that the industry is in the middle of a revolution. Netflix, for example, is bringing new ways to watch your favourite shows. Netflix, Amazon, Channel 4, HBO, Canal+, everybody needs to take risks, to give the audience something different.

 

Has French drama improved, or have we only just noticed how good it is?

French dramas were incredibly good in the 60s and 70s. And then, for all kinds of reasons, in the 80s and 90s, until about six years ago, it was not so good. But again the industry is evolving, and now the broadcaster has no choice but to take risks. To make better shows, they have to trust the writers and directors and producers. That’s the difference today.

 

Do you watch any British dramas in France? Do you have any personal favourites?

In France, Downton Abbey is very popular, as it is all over the world. But for me, personally, I loved The Fall and The Shadow Line. I just watched The Honourable Woman. And I loved Happy Valley, too. I watch a lot of British shows.

 

Witnesses is on Channel 4 from Wednesday 22nd July 2015 at 10pm.