“Diary Of A Chambermaid”, interview with director Radu Jude

We discover a unique insight into everyday life through “Diary of a Chambermaid”, by Radu Jude, presented at 79th Cannes Film Festival. The film  blends theatre and fiction to explore the unseen struggles of ordinary people. This captivating film offers a fresh perspective on stories that are often overlooked in our modern societies, as the director told us in our chat.

A journey into the diary of a chambermaid

The film draws inspiration from the “Diary of a Chambermaid” to portray the lives of women in domestic service within a contemporary context. By incorporating elements from Octave Mirbeau’s novel, which the film is inspired by, the director aims to offer social commentary whilst redefining the portrayal of the characters. The narrative is fragmented into short scenes, juxtaposing everyday life with theatrical moments, thus creating a heterogeneous blend of images and emotions. This narrative choice serves to highlight the complexity and diversity of personal experiences.

The innovative use of theatre and editing

The film adopts a bold formal approach, incorporating theatrical moments to accentuate the authenticity of the dialogue and situations. The director relies on an editing technique inspired by Eisenstein, aiming to juxtapose different elements to create new sensations and reflections. The theatrical moments, chosen with precision and avoiding improvisation, are woven into the narrative to highlight the disconnect between appearance and reality, evoking the notion that theatre represents the true essence of life, according to Jacques Rivette.

Playing with time and space

The narrative structure adopts a chronological division by days, marked on screen, with sequences of varying lengths. This instinctive approach aims to give the impression of a sketched fresco, where each scene becomes a possibility or a potential for other stories. The abrupt cuts and the rapid pace of the scenes reflect a fragmented and unpredictable life, inviting the viewer to perceive the complexity of human relationships and the subtlety of power dynamics, particularly within the film’s social and family context. The film explores the banality and depth of invisible lives. Its plot, formal choices and temporal divisions reinforce the idea that reality is made up of multiple possibilities, where every interaction harbours a silent tension. The richness of this cinematic work invites reflection on the representation of individuals and their daily lives, confirming that a cleaning lady’s diary is, above all, a mirror of our own lives, full of unrealised potential.

Plot