Todd Haynes on Pedro Pascal-Led ‘De Noche,’ What You Can’t See on Screen and the Radical Power of Love

Todd Haynes Explores Sensory Dimensions of De Noche and Radical Love Through Immersive Soundscapes

In Lyon, France, Mexican costume designer Anna Terrazas informed Todd Haynes that the most vital attribute of costume was its odor; Haynes replied affirmatively, accepting the commission.

The Oscar‑nominated director recounted his forthcoming Pedro Pascal‑led romantic noir drama, De Noche, showcased at the Lumière Film Festival, offering insight into his methodological approach—employing synesthetic sound design to complement visual storytelling.

Haynes observes, “We perceive motion pictures with both ear and eye,” yet he stresses that films invoking scent, texture, and other embodied sensations remain the most generative for imagination.

Collaborating with veteran producer Christine Vachon during her time in Lyon, Haynes highlighted recent retrospectives of four of his prior works, notably recently restored versions of Poison and Safe.

Before any new project, Haynes devises personal research missions by immersing deeply in cinema of comparable genre or aesthetic tradition, curating detailed reference compilations he presents to his co‑creators.

During the creation of May December, he studied Michel Legrand’s score for The Go‑Between, letting the music guide camera movement from day one and subsequently prompting composer Marcelo Zarvos to adapt and restructure the piece.

Shatz brought unease to Safe through an intricate soundscape that records hidden melancholy, generating a magnetic field wherein perceived taint in the environment becomes distinctly audible.

Returning to Carol, Haynes referenced journalistic acclaim versus Blanchett’s assertion that the titular protagonist resists heroic mythos, embodying the strain of constrained self‑definition within historic circumstance.

Haynes declares that love possesses an inherently radical, anti‑societal quality, echoing Roland Barthes’s analysis to demonstrate affection’s defiance of conventional social scripts.

Gratitude is extended to Vachon, whose strategic interventions secured Safe against a $1 million budget crisis, underscoring her indispensable contribution to the film’s realization.

Vachon recalled advicing Haynes early in his career to abandon fragmented 20‑minute segments in favor of a unified ninety‑minute narrative, shaping his artistic discipline.

Criticism toward emerging independent cinema suggests younger American audiences increasingly frequent repertory venues while desiring richer cinematic selection, a gap Vachon suspects will not close without substantial innovation.

Beyond present productions, Haynes reflected on his youthful obsession with Lucille Ball, the inspiration behind his autobiographical short Dottie Gets Spanked, and hinted at potential festival screenings alongside Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.

The Lumière Film Festival continues its Lyon run through October 18.

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