David Black interviews Helene Dunlop for The Australian Short Film Network Journal
Helene Dunlop is an amazing French actress who is now living in Melbourne, Australia. I first met her at the Australian Short Film Network’s networking night, where I interviewed her for the “In Your Shorts” documentary. That doco was shown on 13 community TV stations world-wide, so I’m thinking that she might be a good luck charm. Hence, I decided to roll the dice again.
When getting ready for this interview, I realised that although I interviewed her on the documentary and she stars in my short film, “Time Goddess,” as well as being in my upcoming feature, “Toxic Alien Zombie Babes From Outer Space” … she is a total mystery to me!
DB – Hi Helene. Thanks for agreeing to chat to me today. When you were on “Time Goddess”, the one thing that really stood out was that your acting abilities are a cut above most that I’ve worked with. When I went to your IMDB, I couldn’t see that many films in it, but you must have gotten your experience somewhere! Where did you cut your teeth as an actress?
HD – First of all, thank you so much David for the compliment and for being the one who gave me my first chance as a screen actor in Melbourne. And you may be MY lucky charm as I got so many projects since Time Goddess!!!
Now to answer your question, it all started in France when my mother kept telling me to stop acting as a young child… I did not want to stop of course. And when I saw “CYRANO” at the Mogador Theatre in Paris at the age of 11, I knew it was what I wanted to do, it was so magical, powerful, the storytelling, the real horse on stage, the tree with falling leaves, just incredible. I also got my first job on set as an extra when I was about 6 or 7 and it is a really vivid memory, I was on a carrousel and I have to wave at my mum looking happy, my mother was not there so I chose another mum and I thought “how fantastic, I can have another mum for a day”.
I started playing at high school and then got trained with beautiful teachers in Paris. I was a professional stage actress for about 15 years before I met my husband and moved to Sydney and then India, Philippines and now Melbourne. At that time I thought I left my career for good as life was giving me other experiences and becoming a mother or living in Asia was such an adventure.
I did not focus on screen acting in France as I was working full time on stage with directors like Robert Hossein, Yves Carlevaris, Nathalie Chemelny as well as doing social theatre in a forum theatre company.
I reconnected with acting in Melbourne by filming videos for Pearson and I had so much fun, I found myself again.
DB – I’ve noticed that quite a few actors have come to Australia to look for opportunities. Can I ask you what brought you to Australia Helene?
HD – I just followed my heart. I am a dreamer and never plan anything, I was in love and still am, I followed my husband without realising I was saying goodbye to my acting career, maybe I needed a time off, I have no regret, I have two wonderful kids and lived in Asia which was an unbelievable experience where I could help less fortunate and understand more about my beliefs and what I would like to achieve and why.
DB – Since I met you at the networking night, your acting career has just taken off. You seem to be in quite a few projects. Are you allowed to discuss any of them? If so, what are they?
HD – I got so busy since we first met! And I feel it all started with Time Goddess! I also have a wonderful coach, Tia Jordan, that helped me figuring out how to navigate in the Australian industry and starts my career from scratch as well a really trustful agent Kristy Howell. I also got to be on stage at the cracked actor theatre in between lockdown and I am waiting for two feature films to be in post production. “The Industry” from Luke Paramanathan and an Indian movie from Tarak Sidhartha as well as a wonderful short film from Lukas Yannoutsos “At the end of the day”. Once lockdowns are over I’ll be on stage again with the Improv company The Improv Pit which I started training with a month ago and will film several short films which is really exciting. I will be able to talk more about all this once the productions release the films.
DB – How do you feel Melbourne compares with France in relation to acting, opportunities and projects?
HD – I feel Theatre has more importance in France, we have so many more opportunities to be paid as a stage actor and lots of festivals, companies, theatre. In the contrary screen acting is a really closed industry in France and there is really few opportunities if you don’t have connections. Or maybe I matured in my way of approaching my job and find ways to get those opportunities.
The major difference is that, in France, the arts are supported by the government with an amazing system where, if working enough paid hours (507 hours) in a year we get funding to support us for the time we are not working. It allow us to train when not employed, create independent projects and take more risks. The non paid independent industry is almost non existent with that system which has its down side.
Here in Melbourne I can find much more opportunities to get screen part in independent projects and therefor footage to create a showreel. The industry is also much smaller here, you know everyone really quickly which I love as you feel part of a community as in France we are so many artists it is hard to not feel lost in the number.
But it is hard to compare an art industry that existed for centuries in Europe to a really young one here and I think we should not compare, Australia is producing beautiful movies and TV series, the country can be proud of its unique screen identity. Always touching story with a mixture of grounded raw characters and a little self depreciation, and I love this.
DB – I know that you are really busy with so many acting roles, but can I ask you what your future plans are, and if you feel that you are heading in the direction that you want?
HD – I am training with the Improv Pit to know more about the comedic scene here as I would love to create a one woman show, I started gathering interest for it and need to focus to get this done for next year. I also have several short films to shoot in the coming months and I will keep on meeting people, training and grow as what I love the most is acting and it’s a non ending path.
If I could be part of a TV series or a film showing what Australia really is, a beautiful multicultural country with varied accents, colours and faith, I would be incredibly happy. And I would also love to help getting a better canteen system in primary school for all children to get a healthy lunch habit, it would support parents who will not have to do lunch every morning and help all kids to be on the same level whatever background they are from. You will say it has nothing to do with acting but if I can let my voice heard that is what I would like to do.
DB – Where can our readers follow your work?
HD – I am building a website but they can already follow my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HeleneDunlopactor and all my profiles are on my link tree card https://linktr.ee/HeleneDunlop