T�te-�-t�te with Laurent Decol

“He is a worthy successor to Charles Chaplin, Marcel Marceau or Buster Keaton. An incredibly talented artist who makes us smile and moves us to laughter and tears”
- The New York Times, 12/12/10.

Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) recently hosted a mime workshop by the distinguished French mime artist, Laurent Decol. A graduate from the Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris, Decol was privileged to be under the tutelage of the legendary Marcel Marceau and Étienne Decroux. Having performed over 2,000 times, and held workshops in nearly 100 countries, Laurent Decol is a seasoned professional and a master of his art. The Weekend Independent recently met him for an exclusive interview. Decol spoke in French as Lutfar Rahman of AFD translated.

Where and why did you decide to become a mime artist?

I was 17-years-old when I first saw a show of Marcel Marceau. The show gave me a shock, and there and then I decided to work with mime. Before that, I had thought of several career options, like becoming a doctor or an engineer, but after watching the show I decided that I am going to work with mime. In the beginning, I didn’t think of taking it as a profession, it was more like a hobby. But with time, I took it seriously.

Please tell us, did you face any obstruction from your parents? And who motivated you the most?

Initially, my parents didn’t want me to have a career on this, but now, they are proud of me as a mime artist. I would say it was Marcel Marceau who motivated me. After watching the show, I met him and I took his autograph. I told him that I wanted to learn mime and he asked me to come to his school. That particular incident inspired me a lot.
Have you acted in films?

Yes, I have acted in some films, but in short roles. Basically, I want to work with mime. I do not think I have any special gift when it comes to acting. I believe mime is my field.

One of the best things about mime is that it has its own universal language. Music and art also have their own universal language, but mime has its own advantage of portraying something concrete, which music and art may not always do. Through mime, one can convey directly what he or she wants to say.

The last time you visited Bangladesh was about 20 years ago. What changes have you noticed?

Nothing much in particular, people here are very hospitable. Even the police were very helpful, as they were the last time I was here.

You have had a long career, how does it make you feel when you look back at it?

I am happy with my career. Although there was a time when I felt bored and thought there is nothing new to do, I took a break and worked on other cultural activities. That helped me and I was able to come up with something new.

You have conducted workshops in over 100 countries, what are you observations about the mime scene in Bangladesh?

I am sure that there can be something revolutionary in the field of mime in Bangladesh. I have worked with psychology and I have felt it, I try to apply my intuition and that tells me there can be something good happening in the field of mime in this country.  
 
Please tell us where do you get your ideas from.

I have a diary that I carry in my bag, and I take notes whenever any ideas come into my head.  

Our heart goes out to he recent terrorist attacks in Paris; do you have any plans to do something on that?

At the moment, I do not have any plans regarding that. I am shocked. Right now, I am looking at it as a citizen of France, not as an artist.

What will be your advice to those who want to do mime?

The workshop I conducted here, I told the students to work on their techniques and then use emotions accordingly. Sometimes, the technique can be a problem if you do not change it. For example, for a bird to fly, wind is necessary, but the wind can also cause problems sometimes, an airplane is a better example of this. For an artist, the technique helps you to go forward, but if the technique remains the same than problems occur.  

What are your future plans?

I want to share my skills and experiences with the young. Teach them what I have learnt all these years, so they can continue the work.

T�te-�-t�te with Laurent Decol

He is a worthy successor to Charles Chaplin, Marcel Marceau or Buster Keaton. An incredibly talented artist who makes us smile and moves us to laughter and tears - The New York Times, 12/12/10. Alliance Franaise de Dhaka (AFD) recently hosted a mime workshop by the distinguished French mime artist, Laurent Decol. A graduate from the Ecole Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris, Decol was privileged to be under the tutelage of the legendary Marcel Marceau and tienne Decroux. Having performed over 2,000 times, and held workshops in nearly 100 countries, Laurent Decol is a seasoned professional and a master of his art. The Weekend Independent recently met him for an exclusive interview. Decol spoke in French as Lutfar Rahman of AFD translated. Where and why did you decide to become a mime artist? I was 17-years-old when I first saw a show of Marcel Marceau. The show gave me a shock, and there and then I decided to work with mime. Before that, I had thought of several career options, like becoming a doctor or an engineer, but after watching the show I decided that I am going to work with mime. In the beginning, I didnt think of taking it as a profession, it was more like a hobby. But with time, I took it seriously. Please tell us, did you face any obstruction from your parents? And who motivated you the most? Initially, my parents didnt want me to have a career on this, but now, they are proud of me as a mime artist. I would say it was Marcel Marceau who motivated me. After watching the show, I met him and I took his autograph. I told him that I wanted to learn mime and he asked me to come to his school. That particular incident inspired me a lot. Have you acted in films? Yes, I have acted in some films, but in short roles. Basically, I want to work with mime. I do not think I have any special gift when it comes to acting. I believe mime is my field. One of the best things about mime is that it has its own universal language. Music and art also have their own universal language, but mime has its own advantage of portraying something concrete, which music and art may not always do. Through mime, one can convey directly what he or she wants to say. The last time you visited Bangladesh was about 20 years ago. What changes have you noticed? Nothing much in particular, people here are very hospitable. Even the police were very helpful, as they were the last time I was here. You have had a long career, how does it make you feel when you look back at it? I am happy with my career. Although there was a time when I felt bored and thought there is nothing new to do, I took a break and worked on other cultural activities. That helped me and I was able to come up with something new. You have conducted workshops in over 100 countries, what are you observations about the mime scene in Bangladesh? I am sure that there can be something revolutionary in the field of mime in Bangladesh. I have worked with psychology and I have felt it, I try to apply my intuition and that tells me there can be something good happening in the field of mime in this country. Please tell us where do you get your ideas from. I have a diary that I carry in my bag, and I take notes whenever any ideas come into my head. Our heart goes out to he recent terrorist attacks in Paris; do you have any plans to do something on that? At the moment, I do not have any plans regarding that. I am shocked. Right now, I am looking at it as a citizen of France, not as an artist. What will be your advice to those who want to do mime? The workshop I conducted here, I told the students to work on their techniques and then use emotions accordingly. Sometimes, the technique can be a problem if you do not change it. For example, for a bird to fly, wind is necessary, but the wind can also cause problems sometimes, an airplane is a better example of this. For an artist, the technique helps you to go forward, but if the technique remains the same than problems occur. What are your future plans? I want to share my skills and experiences with the young. Teach them what I have learnt all these years, so they can continue the work.