The coming-of-age drama L' t ternit (released in the U.S. as Our Eternal Summer) marked the continuation of the collaboration between writer-director milie Aussel and cinematographer Mathieu Bertholet. Here, Bertholet offers his insights into the production for which he worked with Panavision Marseille to source his camera and optics package and recounts the career path that led to his current work as a director of photography.
Panavision: How did you become involved in the project?
Mathieu Bertholet: I met milie Aussel, the director, in 2013, for her short film project Petite blonde, which became our first collaboration. We worked together again for Ta bouche mon paradis, a short film made in collaboration with the ERAC [Cannes Regional School of Actors]. It was at this time that milie began to tell me about her feature film project, then titled To Die Young. We discussed the project regularly, I read the different versions of the script, and little by little, over the course of our discussions, the general idea of what the film could be, its atmospheres, its sets [came into focus]. In 2019, producer Thomas Ordonneau and Shellac Films decided to launch the preparation of the film, and I agreed to follow milie in this new adventure.
How would you describe the look of the project?
Bertholet: For this film, I wanted to move away from an image that is too naturalistic a look that is often applied to so-called realistic' cinema dealing with youth, adolescence and its emotions. For me, it was about giving the film a visual identity made up of colors and contrasts. Dealing with reality, of course, but magnifying it in one way or another. Not being afraid of summer light, which is sometimes harsh. To dare.
Paradoxically, we had very few technical means to achieve this. It was therefore necessary to choose settings, day and night, on which I could intervene. We worked in negative, cutting existing lights to build the desired image, and adding little touches a color, a contrast that would take us into fiction.
The night scene in the skate park between the characters Malo [Matthieu Lucci] and Elias [Louis Pluton] is quite representative of this approach. The lighting mixed several types of light sources sodium, neon tubes, etc. and the colors blended together. By cutting off certain sources, we built a nighttime atmosphere that I really like. Ditto when the character Eve [Rose Timbert] goes to the beach at night to look for her friend Lise [Agathe Talrich]. The sodium lit up the cornice and immersed the beach in this yellow-orange glow. In the distance, a few neon lights gave a colder touch in shades of blue-green.
Outdoors during the day, and especially for the long beach sequence at the beginning of the film, which opens with the sun at its zenith and continues until nightfall, our principle was to respect very precise shooting schedules. Thus, each part of the sequence swimming, discussions on the beach, aperitif, bathing at the end of the day, etc. has its own identity. Then, the digital color correction allowed me to accentuate these small differences to further mark the passage of time.
There was also, for us, this very present idea of filming faces as if they were landscapes. We would take the time to look at them and try to make faces and landscapes respond to each other as if the two were linked and together participated in the expression of the characters feelings. The decor of the Palais Longchamp in Marseille, with its large columns, goes in this direction, giving the first group of friends that surrounds Lise a sacred dimension.
Were there any particular visual references you looked at for inspiration?
Bertholet: I had no precise visual references. Lets say rather that milie gave me directions in which to look things she liked, things she asked me to look at. It was then up to me to appropriate them, to digest' them, and to think about how to make them meaningful for our project and our desires. Jumbled up, I would quote the cinema of Gus Van Sant, that of Philippe Garrel, certain romantic paintings such as those of Caspar David Friedrich, the photographic work of Nan Goldin. And then, a film that personally nourished me for this project: American Honey by Andrea Arnold, photographed by Robbie Ryan [BSC, ISC]. In my opinion, it is the perfect example of an image that serves the film, its words, its staging, and participates fully in its identity.
What brought you to Panavision for this project?
Bertholet: I have lived in Marseille for almost 20 years. I was a 1st camera assistant when I moved here, and very quickly I was brought to meet the Panavision Marseille team. I have prepared a very large number of films with them, and over the years a relationship of trust has developed between us. When I started working on this project, it seemed natural to me to turn to them and use their services.
What inspired you to become a cinematographer and what keeps you inspired today?
Bertholet: I have an extremely classic background: assistant for 20 years, then operator and cinematographer. I strongly believe in this journey and its benefits. The years spent glued to the camera, close to the operator and the actors, are an extraordinary way to learn ones trade, to learn to think in terms of images, focal lengths, colors, contrast, density. In short, to learn cinematographic vocabulary and grammar. And then there comes a day when you feel like you can use this vocabulary to create images and highlight a scenario.
What inspires me today is first of all an encounter. A filmmaker who will convince me that their view of a story deserves to be told. From that moment on, I find immense pleasure in blending into an imaginary world and trying, with my tools and my own sensitivity, to respond to a desire for cinema. And then, finally, there is the
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
05/03/2026
Clear-Com has provided Gen-IC virtual intercom, its cloud-based voice communications system for SaxaVord Spaceport, the first fully licensed vertical launch s...
05/03/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) concluded the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, convening more than 800 industry leaders, technologists, creatives and executi...
05/03/2026
LynTec, a leading manufacturer of electrical power control solutions for professional audio, video, and lighting systems, today announced that its new Dual DMX ...
05/03/2026
Snicket Labs is pleased to announce a new distribution partnership with ES Broadcast for its award winning solutions, Match and Enrich.
Under the agreement, ES...
05/03/2026
LiveU today announced the first large-scale deployment of its AI-driven LiveU IQ (LIQ ) technology at a global, multi-venue sporting event, setting a new benchm...
04/03/2026
Lega Basket Serie A (LBA), the governing body for Italy's premier basketball...
04/03/2026
Wrexham AFC co-chairmen Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds will host a first-of-its-kind ...
04/03/2026
The countdown is underway and with just 100 days to go until the world's greatest sporting event begins on Thurs., June 11, FOX Sports, America's Englis...
04/03/2026
No matter where they are in the world, service members and veterans can stream N...
04/03/2026
Telemundo officially releases Somos M s, the anthem for the network's cove...
04/03/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) concluded the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, convening more than 800 industry leaders, technologists, creatives, and execut...
04/03/2026
Smith Entertainment Group transformed how local sports are consumed by creating ...
04/03/2026
The production method, which spans a distance of 36.2 miles, was designed and im...
04/03/2026
Haivision, a global provider of mission-critical, real-time video networking and...
04/03/2026
When Hugues Meyrath came out of retirement to take the helm as CEO of Quantum, i...
04/03/2026
Last week's launch of Banana Ball Championship League has spurred a significant upgrade of production facilities
The Savannah Bananas, arguably the hottest...
04/03/2026
sldkfjsdlfkjsldkfjsldkjfslkdjfslkdjfsl
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus...
04/03/2026
For many fans, a song's backstory can be just as compelling as the final pro...
04/03/2026
In 2006, Spotify was founded on the belief that technology could bring artists a...
04/03/2026
Spotify is back on the ground for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and we&#...
04/03/2026
Spotify had an energizing week in Sydney, Australia, filled with powerful conver...
04/03/2026
Earlier this year, we launched Directed By, a documentary-style series that pull...
04/03/2026
100 Days to Go: SBS Unveils World Class Team for The Greatest Show on Earth -The...
04/03/2026
KT and Rohde & Schwarz to showcase AI-enhanced radio transmission performance In a joint 6G AI proof-of-concept demonstration, the CMX500 one-box tester from ...
04/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/03/2026
Luxembourg, 3 March 2026 - SES S.A. has today published its 2025 Annual Report, following the announcement of the company's full year financial results for ...
04/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/03/2026
Luxembourg, March 3, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, along with I...
04/03/2026
04 Mar 2026
VEON Partners with GSMA Innovation Fund to Accelerate Digital Innov...
04/03/2026
04 Mar 2026
VEON's Beeline Uzbekistan and Rakuten Symphony Partner for Open...
04/03/2026
Wednesday 4 March 2026
Sky Sports unveils plans for 2026 Formula 1 coverage
Sky Sports is preparing for one of the most highly anticipated F1 seasons in recen...
04/03/2026
Back to All News
Bloodhounds' Season 2 Gears Up for April 3 Premiere with ...
04/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Ads Suite Expands Capabilities
Business
04 March 2026
GlobalUnited States
Link copied to clipboard
After launching the Netflix Ad...
04/03/2026
Scripps Research welcomes healthcare innovator Joe Kiani to the Board of Directors Kiani brings decades of experience in patient safety and public service.
Mar...
04/03/2026
Nanoparticle vaccine approach takes on a new target: Hepatitis C virus Scripps Research scientists reengineer critical proteins on the surface of HCV, paving th...
03/03/2026
Beyond Sports, a Sony group company, and LIV Golf, the world's golf league, ...
03/03/2026
Ilitch Sports + Entertainment announces the launch of Detroit SportsNet (DSN), a year-round broadcast home for two of Detroit's franchises. With flexible op...
03/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media ...
03/03/2026
The PGA of America, NBC Sports and USA Sports extend their media rights agreemen...
03/03/2026
AI device ecosystem company HONOR enters into a strategic technical collaboratio...
03/03/2026
Cleveland's Telos Alliance, pioneers in broadcast technology for 30 years, l...
03/03/2026
The MD 9235 microphone head for wireless handhelds has been a firm favorite with many engineers and artists for its ability to cut through high on-stage levels ...
03/03/2026
Haivision Systems Inc. (Haivision), a global provider of mission-critical, real-...
The coming-of-age drama L' t ternit (released in the U.S. as Our Eternal Summer) marked the continuation of the collaboration between writer-director milie Aussel and cinematographer Mathieu Bertholet. Here, Bertholet offers his insights into the production for which he worked with Panavision Marseille to source his camera and optics package and recounts the career path that led to his current work as a director of photography.
