X.D. : I'd like to come back to the idea of redemption. There is redemption, but not divine grace. The important thing was to have our feet firmly on the ground and use this framework to show characters in hell who are trying to climb out of there, trying to find the parameters that are going to let them do it, without oversimplifying or moralising.

The title in the original French, J'irai au paradis car l'enfer est ici contains both the words heaven and hell-was that the title you decided on from the start ?

X.D. : No. We wanted to call it "Parabellum", which in Latin means for or against war. But not many people know what that is. [The final title] "J'irai au paradis car l'enfer est ici" is a Cathar phrase. I liked the idea of the title having this rapport with the people executed in the 13th Century and I really believe that man's trials are here on earth.

How did you choose the actors ?

X.D. : We worked very closely with Jeannot on every aspect of the film. There were practically no auditions. Speaking of clichés, we didn't want to get a bunch of guys that looked like classic "bad guys". Real gangsters look more like nice old men than thugs who go to hooker joints. Each character had to have distinctive characteristics or have features that would mark him-for the simple reason that there are a lot of characters and it's essential that they be distinguishable from one another.

We see some actors from your theatre company mixed in with other known and unknown actors. When you see the film there is a very real impression of family--how did you get everyone to work together so smoothly?

X.D. : There's a core of theatre people-Gérald Laroche, Eric Savin, Edouard Montoute, Laurent Olmedo, Philippe Kara Mohamed--, then people like Marc Chapiteau who hadn't done a film in twelve years ; Robert Cordier my former theatre professor, Gérald Chaillou, Brigitte Catillon, Daniel Duval, all mixed with non-professional actors like Jean-Pierre Léonardini and friends of Jeannot. A lot of people came, sometimes from far away, just to be in the film, even if it was only for a small part or to be in the background. Arnaud Giovaninetti was an actor I had noticed seven or eight years ago at the Journées du Conservatoire.

J.M. : They're not just his actors-they're his friends. We all learned to get to know each other very well. We were sort of a reproduction of the gang.

X.D. : It was the same thing, in colour. For me what happens offstage is just as important as what happens on. We're all bound to one another and it's true that actor and director can only really function together with love.

The only actor that seems to be a bit on his own is Daniel Duval. Is that due to his role ?

X.D. : Daniel has this incredible face, sort of reminiscent of the years from the 50s to the 70s, and it's amazing that Arnaud Giovaninetti at certain moments resembles him. He's a character that's mythical; symbolic. It's normal that he should be different.