Bernard Chardère Prize

PostED ON OCTOBER 15 AT 2:45PM

The creator of the web magazine Blow up for Arte in 2010, Luc Lagier is recipient of the Bernard Chardère Prize, which recognizes a critic, journalist or author.

What does receiving the Bernard Chardère Prize mean to you?

I designed Blow Up as an experimental project, something that initially was unlikely to be watched by many people. After a year or two, when it achieved some success, I understood that the experimental could appeal to viewers. Still, I thought that in the world of filmmaking, my magazine has remained relatively little-known, so when I received an invitation from Thierry Frémaux, I welcomed it as an apotheosis. This prize goes straight to my heart, because I will receive it in Lyon, the capital of cinephilia, where the cinema was born.

How do you define your occupation?

My job is to put order in my memory, to archive and mount film images charismatically. I am not a critic; I am an archivist-historian-editor of film sequences of different cinematographies. The Internet user who decides to press play to watch my montages will be in connection with the memory of film buff, mine, reserving the right, of course, to challenge my choices and my associations between the films.

Where do you see your profession in 20 years?

I want to continue Blow up (and I give a thousand thanks to Arte, who allows me to do it!), until I’m personally exhausted, which is possible, and until reaching the exhaustion of subjects, which is impossible! I found the format that suits me: short, fast or not, that lets me play with the internet’s user’s short attention span. Each subject can lead to another one or be revisited with the movies that keep coming out, it's endless. I could go on until the end of my days! You’ll have to kick me out! 

Interview by Virginie Apiou