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I heard on your site four tracks from the music of the HBO documentary "There Is Something Wrong with Aunt Diane." What was your inspiration for the use of background music played by the entire violin, piano and electric guitar ?

JZ: The violin is the main instrument I play. This provides a nice texture of the film at times. The electric guitar is as much a demonstration as the piano and cello. They work very well together. It is very diffuse. It's not a big orchestral score or an action film it is a drama and therefore these instruments themselves lead us to the drama. It was that to which I wanted to go with this palette of sounds. When I started writing my first notes, I started with a guitar and a piano and then I added the violin and cello.

How was your collaboration with the other musicians ?

JZ : It was great. I loved working with other musicians. The pianist is a specialist of Eric Satie (note: the original Scottish pianist born in Honfleur 1866-1925). He has worked extensively on French music, so that was an inspiration. He brought a beautiful tone on his Steinway piano for 30 years. The cellist was recorded after scores for guitar and violin. I had to make models for piano and cello, so I knew exactly where I wanted to go and what would happen musically.

How was your collaboration with director Liz Garbus's documentary ? Was it your first collaboration ?

JZ : It was indeed our first collaboration. However, I worked on another project with the editor on a film called DOUBLE TIME.

How was your dealings with your music director ? Is Liz Garbus has provided you with references of that she appreciated your previous work on documentaries?

JZ: We used many of my previous music in the movie to start the conversation. There was a short film called "Empire" for which I had composed a few songs that ended up in the documentary. I did a lot of variations on the music. They were the starting point and then they worked on other pieces. All these pieces had the same range as my own music, so the collaboration was very natural.

Did you work directly from the script or watched the rough cut of the film to compose?

JZ: I gave a rough cut of the film includes a lot of my songs, so I kept an eye on its evolution, beginning with making changes on my music keeping the general tone and spirit. Then I have integrated into the film to see what worked and from which some songs tended to go. It is the process experienced by the film.

You have composed many scores as SON OF THE MORNING, GODS OF CIRCUMSTANCES, THE GENETIC OPERA, KISSING COUSINS,SNOOP DOG etc ... What was the biggest challenge ?

JZ: Each score is a new challenge and I love working on different types of films. Every time it's different and refreshing. You do not necessarily have the same approach to each film. There are an infinite number of ways of presenting the characters. There is a rendering style specific to each film. Of course there are always similarities, but I try to give each film the novelty responding to what he needs.

Is that when you receive your Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts, New York University and Yale, you thought one day be required to become a composer of film music?

JZ: I've always been interested in the composition of film music as a profession but I was not 100% sure it was really where I wanted to go. I found myself working on commercials, concerts, multimedia and theater, I continue to do the rest. But I focus now primarily on film music, I really appreciate.

Did you know that people in the world of film music you call the king of music documentaries? How do you feel it?

JZ: It's a bit strange. I do not consider myself as the king of anything. I just call and work with other people, so what can I do, it makes me happy.

What kinds of projects would you like to develop in the future? Do you have any current projects you would like us to talk?

JZ: I'm working on a number of different movies now. I am currently working on a piece of dance and would go back to writing for concerts. It joins one of your previous questions, because I have not made a long time for a concert. When I was composing the music for AUNT DIANE, I began to research music that I thought were not appropriate for this film. But they have a lot of movement to fit perfectly on my project Dance. Then I score of HIS AND MORNING, released in September, so I'm very excited the film being released in theaters because it was finally announced a long time.

Like many of us who share the same passion for film music, I would like to know if you have a favorite composer?

JZ: There are many composers and scores that I really appreciate. I can give you a couple of excerpts in concert music that I like in particular. For example, I love the Beethoven Violin Concerto. It is a masterpiece in my eyes. I love music "Einstein on the Beach" by Phillip Glass it is a very beautiful work and I also love "Well-Tempered Clavier" by Bach. As far as the music can go, those references will be huge for me. I also listen a lot of scores. I love the music of Bernard Herrmann's score for LOST composed by Michael Giacchino and most of the music he has composed for film to date. I loved the music of Eddie Vedder for INTO THE WILD. I found his songs were great. And I loved the work of Danny Elfman for MILK. If I had to choose among all existing film music, it would probably be A CLOCKWORK ORANGE because I love the use of Kubrick has done of the music of Beethoven. Wendy Carlos took over the works of Beethoven, Bach and Rossini and so well mixed and incorporated into his songs, it gave them a different approach. At that time she has invented a lot of specific sounds that can not find anywhere else. Then she created her own songs using the above mentioned works is talking about Alex, the protagonist of the film, and joined at the heart of his music and action. This is definitely a score that I love and I'm always happy to often listen. And Hitchcock and obviously. The most memorable scores are not the ones that accompany the film, but those we keep in mind and that it whistles out of the room.

Interview by Ludovic Pathoux
Thanks to Xavier Ducamp 

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