“Messi never gets caught for his physique”: meeting the incredible dog from Anatomy of a Fall

To miss. What does the job of animal trainer for cinema involve?

Laura Martino. The animal coach’s job consists of supporting the animal to carry out precise actions in a specific sequence worked out in advance. On stage we help the animal to carry out this action correctly. On set there is the animal trainer person dedicated to animal welfare.

Have you trained other animals?

I specialize in dogs but I started out making rats, ferrets, chickens… I even made bees!

What is your background?

I started out as a dog trainer. Messi has competed in dog training competitions. I met a person who worked in the cinema, who needed me and that’s how I became an animal trainer.

Can all dogs become movie dogs?

NO ! We can’t take a little dog and thinking he’s going to be a star because each dog has its own specific characteristics. For example, you can’t ask just any dog ​​to bring back a shoe: he must know how to keep it in his mouth. Dogs can not knowing, OR do not want to to learn !

Does every dog ​​have its own personality?

Absolutely ! We should not force an animal to shoot. Must be there just for fun because he didn’t ask to be an actor dog. She will have fun, receive caresses and treats and receive congratulations. At the end of the day he has worked hard physically and psychologically and when he comes home he is happy.

In your opinion, is the profession of animal trainer sufficiently recognized and supervised?

I don’t think we realize how much work goes into a dog in a movie. When we see it, we say to ourselves “I would love to have this dog, he’s perfect!” » We do not necessarily realize that, in fact, behind this extraordinary dog, there is a person behind who helped him do all these actions.

It is a profession that should be better monitored to better regulate the work of animals. Currently there is no fixed legal framework: we don’t know how long they can work in a day, what they have to do… indeed, it should be like this for children!

And Messi then?

Messi is a fantastic dog! I had him as a child, we worked a lot.

He’s very smart but due to his physique he is never brought onto the set. It’s very, very rare. His eyes are considered too white. We are told that they “lack of emotion”… For Anatomy of a fall It worked very well because the landscape in the film is snowy. His particular physique appeared very well in the film.

How did you prepare Messi for filming Anatomy of a Fall?

LM. I had the script and all Messi’s actions. Several actions were very difficult. I had a month of preparation so we worked a lot in advance. Then I did what we call “conditioning”, that is, we do a lot of rehearsals so that when the dog arrives on set it already knows its movements. Only the location changes.

We often find ourselves faced with the unexpected. For example, there is a sequence in the film where Messi has to catch a ball falling from a ladder… at that moment Messi wasn’t the difficult person to deal with but the ball! Sometimes he fell on the edge of the step and bam, he was coming back the other way! (laughs.)

Is there room for improvisation on set?

LM. It’s actually on a thread. We must give the dog the freedom to live and suggest things.. We will not tighten something perfect so that the dog can, for example, lie down, move, make noise. That’s what makes him such an actor! It offers natural things in life. One of the most important things in all cases is that the dog can do it you still see me, but not too much. If he’s fixated on me, it’s no longer natural enough. We have to stay simultaneously visible and invisible and always be present, otherwise he will start looking for me instead of acting!

Can you reveal the secrets of the drug scene, which amazed everyone in the film?

Ah! It was a very big sequence. We worked a lot upstream. I worked with Messi lying side, with his head rested. He had to raise his head and when we carry him in our arms, he he had to drop all his weight. I first worked her on a bed, where she gradually learned to lower her head. Then I taught him to do it with his whole body. Once we have this, let’s add noises, to add emotion.

On the set, Messi averaged vomit pump placed under the mouth. Someone was activating it. His eyes are a little cloudy thanks to a special effect added in post-production. The result is that When I discovered the drug sequence in the cinema and was shocked too. It was difficult to make, but it was a great moment for cinema.

How did you find out that Messi had received the Palm Dog? What does this award represent?

We were super happy to win the Palm Dog, we didn’t expect it. I was at a show with other animals and Justine Triet called me and said “Laura, this is crazy, we will definitely win the Palm Dog!” ». I laughed because I didn’t know and Justine Triet told me “But Laura, this is very serious, it’s the ultimate award for best canine actor!” » It’s the reward for all the work we’ve done. We were sad not to be able to go to the Cannes Film Festival… so they got a lookalike, who doesn’t look like him! (laughs.)

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