Le Book 2011 Le Book 2009 Le Book 2007 - 2008 Le Book 2006 Le Book 2005 Emmanuéle's interview in AnyWay Where is the end of the world, Emmanuele Caux?

Emmanuele Caux knows the world like the back of her hand. For years, she has been travelling around the globe, always on the lookout for our planet’s most beautiful spots. Yet what sounds like a never-ending holiday is for Emmanuele simply part of her job. Travelling being her life, she has made it her profession. With her company “Blue Sand“, Emmanuele Caux organises and supervises film and photo productions all over the world. Clients such as Carlsberg, Diesel, Hermes or Roberto Cavalli have faith in her intuition to scout unique locations and, especially, in her unparalleled knowledge of locations off the beaten tracks. And indeed, if one travels with Emmanuelle Caux, it is not uncommon to get to destinations that common tourists find but rarely. ANYWAY asked her about her favourite places. Anyway: Emmanuelle, about your passion for travelling... Emmanuele Caux: Oh, I knew that this was what I was going to do for the rest of my life even when I was a kid! Back then my expeditions used to end at the airport, mind you, where my uncle was working. I used to spend hours there, watching the planes take off and land... What was the destination of your first journey? Morocco, with a backpack. I was 17 and there were a lot of Frenchmen there. Plus, it was cheap and one could go surfing, my favourite hobby. I’ve loved the country ever since. And when did your serious globetrotting begin? I was lucky in that I found a half-year job that allowed me to be on the road for the rest of the time. My first longer journey was a trip through Cameroon, right through the jungle and on to Central Africa. I’ve done that for 9 years, working half the year and travelling the other half, preferably with my surfboard and to countries with a lot of sun and sea. Hence the name of your company, “Blue Sand“? Yes, “Blue Sand“ stands for what I sell, more or less – locations. I’ve laid the foundation for it in Israel when I was asked whether I wouldn’t want to start a company for photo productions – which suited me perfectly. After 9 years I finally wanted a job that would fit in better with my travels. And in Israel, on the Golan Heights, there really is blue sand! It just fit perfectly … How does Emmanuele Caux travel? I’m not a tourist. When I’m travelling privately, I especially want to meet people and stay with them for some time. In Birma, in the Golden Triangle [a region that includes the north of Thailand, the east of Birma, and the west of Laos, known for its opium plantations] I once met an old men in a café. He invited me to his village in the mountains, just like that. We walked for 2 or 3 hours to get there and I stayed for 2 weeks. He didn’t know a single word of French, I didn’t know any Thai, and yet we understood each other perfectly. There are many stories like this, all over the world. Many of the people I met in such a way have become close friends. May we test you briefly as an anyway location scout? Sure, you’re welcome! Where does one find the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets? In Bagan, in the north of Birma. For me, Birma, or Myanmar, as it is called today, is one of the most beautiful countries. Around Bagan there are more than 2000 old temples, similar to the Khmer temples in Cambodia. Except that they are not hidden away in the jungle. Every single sunrise or sunset is a unique natural spectacle. The most spectacular landscapes? Well, there’s so many … one of my favourites is in Nordeste, in Brazil, especially the area around Canoa Quebrada. The canyons and bluffs towards the sea are so bizarre they inspire ruminations. The colours are quite unbelievable – white dunes, green water, and bronze cliff lines. Simply gorgeous! The best markets? In India. Whenever I’m there I spend most of my time in the markets. Take the flower market in Calcutta, for instance. There is such an incredible blaze of colours there it’s sometimes hard to believe that it comes from flowers only. The Hindus offer their gods flowers every day, you know. The best fruit and vegetable markets can be found in New Delhi and in Rajastahn. The most beautiful beaches? Well, I guess I’ll have to reveal my two favourite ones – Kuta-Beach and Dreamland Beach, both in Bali. Kuta-Beach is relatively well known and there’s usually a lot of things going on. Dreamland Beach is a little more remote, about 20 minutes away from Kuta, on the way to Uluwatu. The waves are best very early in the morning. When you’re not travelling you’re living in Paris and in Brooklyn, New York. What your favourite cafés or bars there? In Paris, the café “Tabac des Deux Moulins“. It’s close by my apartment and quite famous ever since it was a location used for “Amelie From Montmartre“. In New York, I often go to the Café Colonial on weekends, on the corner of Mott and Houston. Is there anything like a second or third homeland for you? Oh yes, I love Bali, especially Ubud, the royal city and the cultural centre. I know both the king and the queen personally; they are very, very nice people. The queen comes from Australia, she was the first foreigner to marry into the royal family. People there are very spiritual, they have wonderful ceremonies at every imaginable occasion. You do not have a reputation for finding unique locations but also for keeping your shootings quite “authentic“; what does this mean, exactly? Well, it’s probably because I do not only know the country in which I shoot quite well but also the people on location who I work with. And they in turn know the best places, off the tourist-beaten tracks. During a two-week shooting in Kuta, the entire team came to eat to the “Passar Senghol“ every day, a place where there is genuine Balinese food. I’ve been going there for 10 years, they still have the same cooks and the food is fantastic. And in Morocco I once sent a team to the desert on camels – it’s simply the best way to travel and transport things there. One cannot simply import one’s habits and pretensions to other countries and expect them to work. If there is one thing I’ve learned on my journeys, it’s humility. Emmanuele’s Favourites. music: nusrat fateh ali khan, salif keita, burning spear, coldplay, eminem surfboard: mac millan wakeboard: hyperlite sunglasses: arnett camera: canon