What made you want to adapt Lulu femme nue into a film, from the comic strip by Étienne Davodeau, which received numerous prizes in France, Belgium and Quebec?

I did not know this comic strip. I read it under the recommendation of Caroline Roussel, the film producer, and I was immediately touched by Lulu, this unassuming woman, who has become almost transparent to those around her, her husband and her children, and who little by little regains pigment and color throughout the course of a road trip. I am very different from Lulu, but I understand her and she moves me.

What are your thoughts on Lulu and her personal journey?

The path that Lulu chooses is to no longer put up with her current life. She initiates a new shape and way to live her life to its fullest. Lulu looks back at her life and realizes that she has lost herself on the way. She must restart her personal journey and during it, she rediscovers fragments of her repressed desires and her true personality, a boldness that she did not know she had.

Lulu femme nue marks your reunion with Karin Viard, after a memorable collaboration during your beautiful and poignant first full length feature film Haut les coeurs! for which Karin was awarded the Best Actress César in 2000.

We never lost sight of each other. But to begin a film together, it had to be a meaningful film. We did not want to disappoint one another. Once again, Karin succeeded in amazing me: in real life, she is the complete opposite of Lulu! She is a true driving force with an incredible energy and rare intelligence.

What is your secret for directing your actors with so much exactitude?

I do not really believe in direction of an actor. My directing is a product of my ten years making documentaries. I have learned to watch, listen and try to understand people. With comedians, I try to establish an environment of trust when filming. They feel free to let go; they know that they will not be judged. I was also lucky enough to have a group of formidable actors.