Francois Ozon’s ‘New Girlfriend’ evolves as a story of changes

Award-winning French director Francois Ozon (“Swimming Pool,” “In the House”) had a difficult time casting the leading roles in his latest film, “The New Girlfriend,” a romantic dramedy opening Friday that explores sexuality and gender identity.

“I saw all the important actors of this generation, and many of them were afraid or nervous,” said Ozon, 47, in a recent phone interview from Germany.

Ozon understood why they were apprehensive. The role required the leading man to cross dress as a woman for many of the scenes.

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But Romain Duris, said Ozon, was excited to play the part of David, a widower with a baby daughter who frequently dressed as woman before his marriage and commences to cross dress after her death.

“He was full of pleasure,” said Ozon of Duris. “He was like a child when he made the [screen] test. It was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to show someone very childlike and kind of innocent.”

Just as Duris embodied his role — he also earned a Caesar nomination — so did Anais Demoustier, who played Claire, the childhood friend of David’s late wife, Laura. Claire had promised Laura she would look after him and their baby. But then one day she he arrives at his house unexpectedly and sees David dressed in a wig and Laura’s clothes giving the baby a bottle.

After the initial shock wears off, the two create a feminine alter ego for David called Virginia. As David becomes more comfortable as Virginia, Claire begins to have feelings for her new “girlfriend.”

Claire, said Ozon, is the most complex character in the film. “She is the lead character of the story,” he said. “You follow the story through her eyes. She is the one who really changes. David’s situation is very simple. He wants to become a woman. Claire has to realize she’s falling in love with a man who is not a real man and who is not a real woman.”

Ozon described Demoustier as a very “brave” actress. “I met all the famous French actresses, and many of them said to me, ‘I have nothing to play.’ When Anais read it, she said, ‘Oh, it’s amazing. I have everything to play. I have everything to do.’ ”

“The New Girlfriend” is based a short story by mystery writer Ruth Rendell. “I read it 20 years ago, and that time I tried to make a short film of it,” noted Ozon.

But he couldn’t find financing or the right leading man. “So I turned the page. But I still had the story in my mind and three years ago, I read the short story again. “

Ozon still thought it would make a great movie, but not the one he originally envisioned. “I didn’t want to make a crime story any more. She kills him in the story. It was more about the fear of being a lesbian. I wanted to make a love story. I wanted to give these two people the opportunity to live a life.”

“The New Girlfriend” also is Ozon’s response to negative reactions to gay weddings in France. “We had in France lots of debates and strife about gay weddings,” he said. “People were against gay weddings — conservative people. My idea to was open the minds of the audience about these people who are different. I thought it was a good opportunity to make a film about people who want to be like everybody.”

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