David Belle, who worked with Paul Walker in Brick Mansions, says the late actor was lovingly called Peter Pan by his friends. He also talks about the importance of French martial arts, Parkour, that he learnt from his father
Brick Mansions is the American adaptation of the French District 13, how was your experienceIJ
It sometimes takes me a while to get into a film that I am working on and this was a new thing for me, to speak in English, to work with American actors. But they were really cool with me, they made me feel at ease, so I was able to express myself the way I wanted.
How did you get along with Paul WalkerIJ
He was a little crazy, like me. His friends used to call him Peter Pan because he had the spirit of a child. When we met, (Walker) said to me, ‘I think I found someone with a more youthful spirit than myself.’
Tell us more about you and Walker working together for Brick Mansions.
The set was like a playground for Paul. Sometimes he would make me laugh just before a take when I was all serious and focussed. I would have to get my wits together. There was always joy and fun with him.
Did you guys get hurt while shootingIJ
We got hurt all the time. Our trailers were side-by-side. The chiropractor would work on one of us and then just walk over to the other trailer. One injury would disappear and another would appear somewhere else.
Did you people face any challenges while shooting for the action scenesIJ
In one particular scene, it was very, very hot and we fell a lot on that gravel. It was very tiring and we had to be extra careful. Because we both wanted it to be realistic and our first tendency was to really go for it. We had to establish boundaries so there was a real push-pull between those two inclinations. That’s why it was such a powerful scene.
What do you have to say on Paul Walker’s tragic demiseIJ
I have no words to describe my sadness. It was a pleasure to work with him. He was an amazing man, a great actor and a good confidant.
So you don’t talk a lot but we see you a lot on the Internet with the Parkour stuff. Could you explain what is Parkour, what it represents, where it comes from, what is behind the acrobaticIJ
Parkour is to be moving with the sensation that your spirit is controlling where you are going and the body is only following. When you are moving in this way then you have found Parkour. It is everything for me, it’s an art I’m devoted to it because it comes from my father. My dad gave a meaning to moving to me. That means that before I was doing sports like athletic or gymnastics, and I was moving to stay fit. But without really knowing how it can be useful. When he told me about “parcours” (French army training) and what it did to him, I understood. I understood why we are moving, why we have arms and legs.
What was Parkour for your dadIJ
It’s a training method for obstacles, in case you have a problem. To protect yourself, your family. In philosophy it is martial arts for me. In the philosophy. Because of the martial aspect: you face your obstacles. But in real martial arts you are obliged to hurt someone or beat him to know that you are strong. While with Parkour, the obstacle, it is only you against yourself.
Why the beauty of the movement is more important than the performance itselfIJ
For me the beauty of the movement shows the love you give to the sport. Don’t do the movement to do it beautifully; the movement will be beautiful with your experience and the hard work you’ve put in it. like a monkey or a puma going over a river, we say, ‘it’s beautiful’, but for him when he jumps, he doesn’t think about being beautiful, he wants to do the right movement, the perfect movement to go over it. It’s with the years of training that the beautiful aspect of it appears but at the beginning you have to train to be useful.
So it’s really finding a successful way of going through/over a difficult situationIJ
Going over your limits, not feeling choked by the walls around you.
How do you feel about the increasing following of parkourIJ
I hope that more and more young people will move in this way and spirit.
What does one have to keep in mind to be involved in ParkourIJ
Everyone likes playing in the water, diving and jumping from rocks and other high things to do flips. But remember that the base is to learn to swim. The same is true with parkour.