Gus Van Sant / Icons

In the course of 2016, the Cinémathèque française will be staging an event focussing on the work of Gus Van Sant. For the occasion Actes Sud will be publishing a book offering insight into the filmmaker's world - his films, his collaborations and inspirations.

This reference work presents the full range of the filmmaker's artistry (photography, painting and music) through the optic of his films. It is an original work combining all facets of his creation for the first time, bringing a fresh vision of his cinematographic work.

At the heart of the book is the exhibition curator, Matthieu Orléan's, unpublished interview with Gus Van Sant in Portland in June 2015, discussing the whole scope of his work and inspirations through a network of images organized into themes.

The work also explores the work of other artists whose heritage Gus Van Sant believes he is continuing: heritage beat, pop, rock, and experimental filmmakers, writers and visual artists like William Burroughs, William Eggleston, Harmony Korine and Ed Ruscha. There is also critical analysis of the many themes Gus Van Sant tackles in his work related to his own personal reflections on life, accompanied by first-hand anecdotes and an in-depth appraisal of the production processes used in each movie, from the experimental shorts of the 70s to Sea of Trees, presented at the Cannes Festival in May 2015, soon to be released in cinemas.

The monograph also feature essays by Stéphane Bouquet, Benjamin Thorel, Bertrand Schefer and Stefano Boni, who provide their own interpretations of his protean work. Each essay tackles specific aspects of Gus Van Sant's creation through reflections on the heterogenous nature of his methods and approach.