by John Wildman
AFI FEST Daily News

Alanté Kavaïté, director of FISSURES, world premiere Sunday, November 5, 9:15 PM, at AFI FEST 2006 presented by Audi. FISSURES screens again Monday, November 6, 4:15 PM.

Alanté Kavaïté's feature film, FISSURES, takes a decidedly otherworldly approach to solving a crime.

A daughter's investigation into her mother's murder is aided by a sound engineer's discovery at the scene of the crime: sounds from the past are blending with sounds from the present.

Kavaïté (through her film's heroine) relentlessly pursues not only the identity of the murderer but ultimately a more elusive goal - reconciliation with the memories of those that have been lost.

FISSURES makes its world premiere Sunday, November 5, 9:15 PM, at AFI FEST 2006 presented by Audi. It screens again Monday, November 6, 4:15 PM.

1. What inspired you to write and direct the film?

Thinking about loss as a theme, I asked myself what I missed the most from the people I lost. I had photos, clothes, all sort of things, even smells. (I am thinking about the smell of my grandmother's lipstick.)

But I didn't have any sound traces. I've always been very sensitive to voices and sounds. The music of someone's voice can irritate, delight, hurt or pacify. And I've noticed that little by little the memory of this music fades away.

Scene from FISSURES, directed by Alanté Kavaïté, starring Émilie Dequenne, making its world premiere at AFI FEST 2006..

2. Did your sound guy also serve as a technical advisor for the film?

The sound mixer Francois Groult was the first person I called to work on my film. And the onset sound recordist Philippe Richard helped me a lot choosing the equipment for "Charlotte" and teaching Emilie Dequenne how to use it. During the preparation, she even became Philippe's assistant for a day on the set of another film he was working on.

3. What is the best thing about having your film at AFI FEST?

There are many bests about being at AFI FEST. The selection and the programming from this year and the previous ones are awesome, and it's a great honor to be part of it.

Then there is Hollywood - enjoying a film overdose, meeting directors from all over the world, improving my English and eating the best sushi (California rolls).

4. How many times did Emilie Dequenne bring her Cannes Best Actress award to the set?

Success has not gone to her head. She's a hard worker and she is doing her job for the right reasons.

5. What should a director do that they never think of until it's almost too late?

Make an appointment with a physiotherapist. I'm one of those directors who never sit on the set. I feel that if I sit, the crew will lose their pace and energy.

6. What's the most underrated job on the set?

When the sound engineer asks for silence or for anything, everyone is bothered. From the beginning, I told the crew that I placed the sound recording on the same level of importance as the image.

7. Do you have a lucky item - a shirt, baseball cap, charm - you always bring to the set?

My grandmother's lipstick is a lucky item I often look at, but I never remove it from home. When I filmed Charlotte discovering the sounds from the past, I was wearing one of my mother's jewels. And Emilie also held it a lot.

8. If you couldn't make films, what would be your second career choice?

My problem as a child or a teenager was that I wanted to do too many different things. I wanted to become a surgeon, an astronaut, an actress, a writer and a sculptor, among other things. (The only job I wouldn't choose is working at a slaughterhouse).

To me, creating, writing, making films is the best way to solve this problem.

9. What is harder to do - record crystal clear sound or solve a crime?

The question is so beautiful! It doesn't need an answer, it could be the beginning of a fascinating novel.

10. Popcorn or candy?

Popcorn is too noisy. Candy is too sweet.