Monia Chokri is a Canadian stage and television actor, as well as an award-winning director. Her first feature film, ”A Brother’s Love,” won the Un Certain Regard jury’s Coup de Coeur at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. “Babysitter” is Chokri’s second feature, and she appears in the film alongside Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Patrick Hivon.

“Babysitter” is screening at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which is running online from January 20-30. More information can be found on the fest’s website.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

MC: “Babysitter” is a dark comedy that explores the notion of deep desire and erotic taboos — how one embraces their sexual impulses, which can exist outside of our romantic relationships, and what that says about us.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

MC: It was the writing of Catherine Léger – who wrote the original play and screenplay – that drew me in. I find that she manages to talk about difficult subjects with depth, and that her offbeat humor is always nuanced. I wanted to work on this project because I think that, in spite of a social revolution that has in some ways adjusted the imbalance between men and women, the revolution in a more intimate sense can still be very weak.

By the “intimate revolution,” I mean one about love and sex, and this requires a self-awareness that perhaps is still weak, in my opinion. This can result in leaving women in a dominated position, and hindering their sexual awakening. I found this subject to be important, and yet that few films had explored it well.

W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?

MC: I never try to get people to think about something specific when they see my films. “Babysitter” is no exception. I simply want this film to be another tool of self-reflection. I want men and women to question the balance, or rather the imbalance, of their intimate relationships and how this affects the rest of their lives.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

MC: The biggest challenge by far was the pandemic. We were one of the first productions in Quebec to shoot after the first lockdown. The Covid measures were very strict on the set. The actors and crew had to work at a specific distance, and wear masks and goggles whenever possible. I only had 15 minutes per day per actor for any kind of closeness. I had to use a lot of imagination and contortions to create a staging that would erase the distance issues.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

MC: The film is a co-production between Canada and France. The majority of the financing is public funds, and funds from TV channels.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

MC: I was an actress before I started making films, but I couldn’t imagine becoming a filmmaker myself [at the time]. For me, it was the equivalent of wishing to be an astronaut. I loved writing, and was developing a feature film that I wanted to give to a director. As I was writing it, I realized that I was envisioning the staging, and I gained interest in directing.

I met producer Nancy Grant on my first feature film as an actress. She was interested in my project. She suggested I write a short film to see if I had the chops to direct. We made my short film, “An Extraordinary Person,” together, and then my first feature film, “A Brother’s Love.” I owe a lot to Nancy – it is partly thanks to the confidence she instilled in me that I am directing films today.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

MC: I think the best advice was from Nancy Grant, who told me that if I wanted to be a filmmaker, I should make room in my life for it. I also learned the meaning of hard work from director Xavier Dolan.

I don’t know if this counts for the worst advice, but I’ve often heard a connection between my success and the fact that I’m a woman in this business — as if women are given more of a chance.

W&H: What advice do you have for other women directors?

MC: Prioritize yourself a bit. Women are taught to organize others. It’s very easy to take care of our partner’s projects while putting aside our own films, and our own ambitions. Be a little selfish or choose a partner who will understand your ambitions and support you.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why?

MC: I have a lot of respect for a lot of women directors, but since I have to choose one, I think my heart would go to Agnès Varda. Firstly, because she is one of a small handful of courageous pioneers in our field, and she has made it easier for my generation of women filmmakers to exist in this profession that is still mostly practiced by men. Secondly, for her audacity and her quality as an artist.

Agnès Varda was one of the founders of the New Wave. Not only was she part of it but, in my opinion, she was much more audacious in her vision of the world, and in the way she filmed and edited her films, than even other filmmakers of this movement.

W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?

MC: I had the chance to shoot “Babysitter” in the late summer of 2020. The film kept me busy for a year, including post-production. It allowed me to get through part of the pandemic.

At the moment, I’m preparing my next shoot scheduled for next September, and I’m moving forward with the writing of another film. It’s not always easy to find creative space in this anxiety-inducing time, but sitting on my hands makes me even more anxious, so I have to push myself to create.

W&H: The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What actions do you think need to be taken to make it more inclusive?

MC: I don’t know the issues in the American industry, but I’m a big believer in following quotas to encourage representation. It’s a way that may seem artificial at first, but eventually becomes normalized over the years. When young minorities have a fair mirror of their image on screen, and have role models that look like them, this promotes interest and ideas that they can succeed in this field.