Why phones are 'banned' on Denis Villeneuve's sets
What's the story
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, renowned Hollywood filmmaker Denis Villeneuve expressed his concerns about society's increasing dependence on technology.
"We behave like AI circuits. The ways we see the world are narrow-minded binaries."
"We're disconnecting from each other, and society is crumbling in some ways. It's frightening."
He also spoke about "banning" phones on his sets.
Set rules
Why Villeneuve enforces a 'no-phone' policy on film sets
Villeneuve has a strict no-phone policy on his film sets.
He believes that "Cinema is an act of presence," and everyone involved in the production should be completely focused and present.
"So cellphones are banned on my set too, since Day 1. It's forbidden. When you say cut, you don't want someone going to his phone to look at his Facebook account."
Personal battle
Villeneuve's personal struggle with technology addiction
Villeneuve, who has directed films such as Dune and Blade Runner 2049, confessed to battling his own addiction to technology.
He explained the appeal of smartphones as "something addictive about the fact that you can access any information, any song, any book."
"It's compulsive. It's like a drug. I'm very tempted to disconnect myself. It would be fresh air."
Health focus
Villeneuve's unique approach to physical health on set
Along with his no-phone policy, Villeneuve also disclosed that he didn't have a chair on the set of Dune for personal reasons.
This was due to a back problem he developed while working on Blade Runner 2049 from too much sitting.
"So for the Dune movies, my cinematographer, Greig Fraser, and I decided to stand...to keep the blood flowing, to be awakened. No chairs for us."