Sounds Like Portraits

J'ai rencontré Benoît à New York, loin de sa base de travail à Jérusalem. Il m'a raconté sa vie de reporter de guerre sur les zones de front en Syrie, au Liban ou en Israël : "C'est une évidence, il faut toujours à un moment ou à un autre se dire : pourquoi est-ce que je fais ce métier-là ? C'est là qu'on est le plus créatif : dans le plaisir de ce qui nous a motivé au début."

Quand j'ai rencontré Kim à New York, elle m'a confié comment l'écriture est venue à elle : "Je m'endormais beaucoup au feu rouge et j'ai eu quelques accidents. Un des trucs qui a bien fonctionné, c'était de faire des listes. Des listes de courses, de choses à faire, de couleurs, de ville… A un moment donné, il n'y avait plus de liste. Alors, j'ai tourné le carnet à l'envers et je suppose que c'éta...

When I sat with Hermione, she used a description in J.M. Coetzee's novel Elisabeth Costello. It's about a writer who finally says she is a secretary of the invisible. She said: "Just seeing that phrase, it brings tears to my eyes."

Michael is a philosopher, an editor and a translator. And also a music lover. "Have the courage to really stand by what you think and be radical": when he told me that, I understood that it was a way to start a more profound conversation. That was exactly what happened.

When I sat with Christiane, she told me about her Lebanese roots and how music preserved her from the war at the time. Finding her true voice was -and still is- a challenge for her, but she adds: "I always knew that a lot of answers would come to me through my voice. "

When Nancy talks about music, she also talks about silence and life and joy. I learned a lot from her. Heres's a phrase she told me that I really like: "Listening is like not being afraid of the empty space, and building a trust that if you allow for the silence, for the empty space, then, something important will come to fill it. You will see all the treasures that are in there."

Ara is an Armenian-American musician. He is considered one of the top oud players in the world, his compositions have been recorded in thirteen different languages, which include the multi-platinum hit "Dinata" which was performed in the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

J'ai rencontré Emmanuel dans son bureau à New York où il est actuellement en mission. Il m'a parlé de sa passion pour l'espace public et la démocratie. Ce qui ne va pas sans friction, ni trouble. Comment faire circuler la parole dans des situations de crise ? "Quand une situation est bloquée, soit on en sort par la force (mais on reste dans l'immobilité), soit on créé du mouvement par le dialogue....

I sat with Francois at his place in New York filled with art. His parents were huge collectors whose collection is now visible at the Menil Foundation in Houston (TX). He told me about his taste and his view of what an eye for art is: "You can recognize quality in art even though you may not respond to it as something you personally like."

I sat with Valérie to better know her curating process. Objects can speak when they resonate. When she curates an exhibition, she tries to make them resonate with the larger audience. 

I sat with Eileen. She told me that all her life she tried to figure out who she is. And that's where her creative process comes in: "As an artist I can explore myself through my creative process. I am present in my artwork, whereas in the graphic design it is my job to not be present. It is my job that the work that is communicating is the presence." 

Claire is very concerned about, for many reasons, art is more or less accessible. "Art should be a democratic space. I am always thinking about how to make an artist's work accessible to people who might not know about art."

When you play an instrument, Nina told me, "you have to find your own sound". Same thing for the recorder. She added: "You have to play as if you are breathing life into a musical phrase.""

You have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to translate a language into another: "Finding a common place from which both sides can understand each other is always a challenge." Thinking of what Jeremy told me, I realized that creative people are all, in their own way, translators.  

Pour Madeleine, le processus de l'écriture permet à l'écrivain d'être plus sensible à ce qui résonne en lui en le partageant : "Faire avec le lecteur un bout de chemin où on se rapproche au plus près de soi. Là où ça compte. Là où il faut une exigence d'honnêteté."

When I sat with Jenny, she told me about her dedication to her creative process: "My daily life is almost a constant preparation for my life on stage." But she also told me about her teaching process which is also a creative one. 

When I sat with Vadim in his home in Brooklyn, he told me that he has tried to find out what his personal calling was. It started for him with just noticing that music came easy. Listen to his inspiring journey into his art. 

When I sat with Jessica, she told me that she has always tried to perceive the relationship between the invisible and the visible, between the emotions of the people in the play and the emotions of the people who are watching it. She added: "The weird thing about being an actor is that all the characters are you."

When I sat with Mary, she told me she tried to find her personal legend in music. Music has been a liberating experience for her that enabled her to play with stars like Pharell Williams. To just name one!

All his life, Joel have had a dream that he could make something that was invisible that would make everything around more beautiful. What a dream! 

When I sat with Charlotte, she told me that she has always tried to entertain herself. That drew her to writing and even performing on stage. She felt there was really something to explore about it. I asked her: what makes a good story? Listen to her answer. 

As an artist Amelie tries to stay as free as possible. But freedom comes with a scary feeling because it pushes her out of her comfort zone, in a kind of chaos where she is able to experiment new things and new projects. 

Interview with Bill Campbell, drummer. Bill is a man of few words. He has been playing drums from age 11 and basically tries to simplify everything to the pulse, the vital pulse. Listen to him talking about his simple but sophisticated music.  

When I sat with Hilda, she told me that all her life, she has been trying to find some joy in making something that really feels like it's coming from inside of her. The form of that process has often been through the arts. I asked her: What do you feel when something comes from inside of you?

Scott is an award-winning jazz violinist. When I sat with him, he told me that, while playing music, he looks for happiness.