Denis Villeneuve Bans Cell Phones on Set: ‘It’s Forbidden to Check Facebook After Cut’

Recently, Denis Villeneuve voiced his worries about the growing influence of algorithms over human behaviour. He said that people’s perceptions of the world have become restricted to strict dichotomies and that human behaviour now resembles AI circuits. He finds it worrisome that society is disengaging and, in some ways, disintegrating.

Villeneuve, who admitted that his phone is addictive, was looking at it while he was exchanging these ideas. Comparing the experience to a drug, he emphasized how alluring it is to have access to books, music, and information all the time. As a breath of fresh air, he acknowledged that he is inclined to detach from everything.

Image Courtesy: People

However, cell phones are strictly prohibited on his movie sets. Villeneuve underlined that complete focus and presence are necessary for filmmaking. A filmmaker and their team must be totally involved, just as a painter must focus on his work and a dancer must focus on every motion. He has therefore forbade cell phones on the set from the start. When the director says “cut,” nobody should be sidetracked by social media, he said.

Villeneuve also responded to claims that seats were prohibited during Christopher Nolan’s set rehearsals. Villeneuve stated that he decided not to have a chair for himself on the ‘Dune’ set, even if such claims were disproved. He clarified that he and his cinematographer chose to stand throughout Dune to maintain flexibility, keep moving, and be aware because of previous back problems resulting from excessive sitting during the filming of ‘Blade Runner’. But seats were permitted for producers and others.

–Farheen Ali