The Training of Camille - Session 1

JJ's recollection of that first session reaches a climatic finale

Camille had her eyes open, all this time, just as I instructed. Her eyeballs were fixed on the position I told her to put them on that first acting lesson I gave her in the presence of her pretty friend Natacha.

How long could she keep them that way, I didn't know, but she did it, and did it well. I was happy.

I went closer, to get as much of her expression as possible, she looked beautiful, innocent, young. Just what the stoyr called for. The first story, that is, her first role ever.

I didn't think we would need to rehearse more for this scene. My intention was to go over the different actions of her torture and her killing. She had the idea, so, we didn't need to work a lot more. But I wanted. I wanted to work a lot more with her and I was hoping that she would agree to do it.

As I walked away, slowly, from Camille, I felt like I had been working for a very long time, but the tape didn't lie. Looking at how much tape I had used, I knew we worked less than one hour. For her it was probably an eternity, for me, too short. I could go on and on, exploring all the possibilities, testing her capacity to resist. But I had to stop. I took one long last look at her face through the lens, I was impressed by her dry lips, it gave her a realistic look, the blood effects, which I wasn't very careful with, look real but fake at the same time. Her purple hands and her pale arms told one story.

Everything was just right.

"We're done" I told her almost in a whisper, she blinked, looked at me and smiled. "Did you like it?", she asked with a sweet smile. "Of course." I said to her. "You did great, we're going to polish some of the ideas and we'll be ready. Would you like to do it again sometime soon?" I asked timidly and I think she was surprised that I asked. "Of course." she said. "We have to do it again, I need to know what I'm doing".

Good, I thought and felt that I was the luckiest bastard ever. I began to think what horrible things I could prepare for her the next time.

My recollection of this time is cloudy, I only have the romantic version of Camille, who doesn't even consider this as the first time, for her. That came later. What I do remember well is the excitement in JJ's eyes. I saw that a couple of times before, once when we were explaining to another actress her ordeal at the hands of the secret police for a movie. He had a couple of sessions with that actress. The other times I saw that expression in his eyes was when I worked with him for the first time, the very fist time he tied me up. He had the look of a kid under the christmas tree, wondering what is inside of that colorful package.

I left them alone, but I have to admit, even now, that I was a bit jealous of the little bitch.

Margot

I didn't know this session was so important for JJ, I was still excited with the new experience, this was the second time he mentioned this scene and I was a bit surprised when he took me up to the room and Margot left us. He told me to change into this flimsy t-shirt, I was a bit embarrassed but I went along.

When he tied me up and blindfolded me I felt funny, strange, but it was supposed to be that way, he wanted me to feel funny and strange, I had to act the part of feeling funny and strange. And when he hit me I was surprised, totally...but it was nice, it was fun...I felt a tingling, but I was beginning to feel pain around my wrists and where he was hitting me. I didn't complain. When we were done, he kissed me and help me wash in the shower, he was careful not to touch my breasts, he washed my back.

Camille