Poison Girl Friend on Leos Carax's Mauvais Sang and the Rush of Youth

Japanese musician Poison Girl Friend, the solo project of Noriko Sekiguchi, discusses her lifelong admiration for French director Leos Carax, particularly his 1986 film Mauvais Sang. Sekiguchi, born in Yokohama and raised in Rio de Janeiro, was drawn to Carax's work for its universal depiction of adolescent impulses, contrasting it with the more French-specific films of Jean-Luc Godard. She notes that Mauvais Sang could be set in any city—Tokyo, Berlin, Glasgow—because it overflows with youthful energy. The film is part of Carax's Alex trilogy, starring Denis Lavant as Alex, an alter ego for the director (whose real name is also Alex). Sekiguchi reflects on the destructive yet essential nature of young love portrayed in the film, where characters are devoted yet heedless of each other's feelings. She summarizes Carax's message: whether one has love or not, one is alone, yet everyone needs someone. Sekiguchi's own music, blending ambient trip-hop, dream pop, and French yé-yé, shares Carax's emotional intensity. Her 1992 EP Melting Moment gained cult status after her older albums were released on streaming platforms in 2021, leading to millions of new listeners and global tours.