Joachim Gautier understands that those outside the production world don’t truly understand what his vocation as a film producer entails. It’s not something that causes him to lose sleep. Had he wanted attention, he might have opted for acting or even directing to receive public notoriety, but he didn’t. Movies have always been about the experience for him. His earliest memories of watching Ridley Scott’s Gladiator or Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather didn’t prompt him to check the credits upon first viewing, they transported him to another world that intrigued him. Growing up in Paris, he found vibrant French cinema productions like A Prophet which established that US films were not the only offerings of great value. Now, just a few years later, he finds himself an acclaimed professional travelling the world producing in Europe, Brazil, America…wherever the path to intriguing work may lead. Self-described as “not a prolific writer and not techy enough to be a cinematographer or editor” but loving the craft of storytelling, Producing was a natural and successful fit for Gautier.
While not rebuking big productions, Joachim has certainly made a name for himself in the independent film community. The indie scene has had massive effects on the course of modern films. It’s indisputable that the majority of films these days reflect the style and tone of the Indie productions of the past two decades. With an increase in streaming services, Indie films continually prove to be a source for some of the most creative filmmaking today. Gautier produced White River Tales, a story as epic as any Greek tragedy yet set in rural America. Awards from the ITVFest and San Jose International Short Film Festival proclaimed the virtues of this tale of a young father struggling to maintain his moral compass when tragedy strikes his family. Starring Ramsay Phillips in the lead role of Ned Hope as well as Halle Charlton (Ouija: Origin of Evil) as his compassionate wife Marianne, the story is based on the real life events of director Stephen Ohl.
Working with writer/director Barry Galperin, Gautier produced The Beach House on Morro Road which stars Peter Lindstedt and Holly Curran (of Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy award winning series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). The Sci-Fi inspired aspects of the way the story is told fuels this story of a young couple and their breakup. Taking place in a single location and presented with two sole cast members, the film is a testament to the genius of innovative filmmaking.
Raksha is the tale of an India family living in the US and the curse which has befallen their eldest daughter. The story is delivered as a thriller, making clever use of the combination of the multicultural experience of its characters. Sharmilla Devar (of ABC’s Golden Globe nominated hit Scandal) and Rhiona Bhatt (of the Primetime Emmy Nominated The Mindy Project) are among the cast in this production which was awarded the Festival Prize at the Delhi International Film Festival. Gautier and many of the production’s creatives on and off camera share a global experience, which added an intuitive nature to the creation of Raksha. Joachim communicates, “Trust is essential on any production. If you do not have it, the project will be deeply affected. That’s one of the wonderful parts of being a producer and working on these films. I’m constantly working with talented people from many different places. We learn to work together, develop trust, and create something exceptional. My career allows me to be a part of creative decisions on a daily basis; it’s a great way to live.”