An in-depth behind-the-scenes film for Netflix’s next French language action drama Athena has been released. The 37-minute movie reveals secrets to almost every major set piece in the fantastic film, which was pieced together from a succession of wonderfully choreographed scenes. The film’s director, Romain Gavras, tweeted a shortened clip of the whole video, highlighting the stunning, uninterrupted 12-minute opening shot. The 90-minute feature, which made its world premiere in competition at the most recent Venice International Film Festival and will make its Netflix debut on September 23, is a dystopian tragedy about shattered family ties set against a tense sociopolitical landscape, as seen through the microcosm of a French banlieue.
The opening scene of Athena is a breathtaking long shot that begins with a police news conference on the murder of a local child, moves into the streets, and culminates in a memorable tableau as violent protests against the policemen erupt on all sides. Gavras and his team used numerous techniques to create the hyper-immersive scenario, and this behind-the-scenes footage shows them in action. There were likely hundreds of moving pieces in this picture, making rehearsals an essential part of the process.
In his own words: “When filming the old-fashioned way, a scene can be given new life through the use of cuts in the editing process. But since we set out to create an exciting and suspenseful picture, we can’t afford to have any slow spots. In particular for this scenario, which begins in a police station and ends two miles away in a housing estate.” In the clip, brave camera operators follow the actor Sami Slimane as he navigates tight corridors, chambers ablaze with flames, and a set of stairs. The camera team follows Slimane into a waiting vehicle, and once inside, he neatly passes the equipment to a second crew riding close behind on motorcycles.
Gavras disclosed that on Athena, they could only focus on one sequence at a time, whereas a more conventional production would seek to film many sequences throughout the day. Because of the high stakes involved in this scene, the camera operator practically brushes off his arm after it bangs on some projecting metal. A separate cameraman is hoisted far above the crowd on a crane for a birds-ey perspective of the action. Gavras says of the South African cameraman Myron Mance, “He gets bored if there’s no risk.” Since IMAX cameras are larger and more unwieldy than conventional digital cameras—some of which are really pretty tiny these days—Gavras estimated that they filmed roughly 80% of the film in IMAX, which added another layer of complexity to what they were attempting to do.
Gavras, Ladj Ly, and Elias Belkeddar create the script for Athena.
Alexis Manenti, Dali Benssalah, Anthony Bejon, Ouassini Embarek, and Slimane are among the film’s cast. Embedded above is a short clip from Gavras’s film, and embedded below is the whole making-of movie. The movie is now available for instant viewing on Netflix.