Meet Dylan Besseau

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dylan Besseau. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dylan below.

Hi Dylan, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

During my youth, I was moving forward without any real sense of direction. My past was rather chaotic, and a big part of that was due to my search for identity. My true calling came after I decided to quit law school. At the time, I had transitioned to working at McDonald’s for two years. That’s when I started asking myself some real questions — what did I truly want to do with my life?

One day, one of my best friends introduced me to The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook. It was a revelation. Like him, I didn’t just want to tell stories — I wanted to convey emotions. Maybe because at that point in my life, I needed to escape my reality, to find shelter in a utopian world — and for me, that was cinema. Since then, that passion has never left me. Today, I don’t make films in the traditional sense. What I strive to do is capture extraordinary lives within ordinary settings. In a way, I create real-life cinema.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Together with two friends, Antoine Godet and Guillaume Gevart, we founded our own audiovisual company: Artwooks Media. We produce and direct films that truly move us. Sure, they may be imperfect, but they are made with love and passion — and that, to us, is what matters most.

I don’t really know how to define myself, but I’d say I’m someone who loves to spark something in others. I believe deeply in a form of humanism that aligns with existentialism. That’s what led me to create and produce mostly documentary films, often about people whose lives take unexpected turns. What I love most is helping someone become the best version of themselves. It might sound a bit grandiose, but I genuinely believe that everyone, by finding their own sense of purpose, is capable of doing great things.

At this point, I still see myself as a beginner in the audiovisual field, but I try to keep learning and improving every day. I truly believe that hard work always pays off. I don’t pretend to be a motivational speaker — I’m just fascinated by what human beings can create. And that’s what I try to capture in my films. Whether it’s a lawyer fighting for women’s rights (Anne Bouillon: Justice for All), a painter carrying on her grandfather’s artistic legacy (Makiko), or a doctor dedicating his life to saving others (Gevart), I’m drawn to the differences, the trajectories, the unique paths each person takes.

I believe that a life without growth is a life without meaning. And I’m convinced that everyone can find their own path to fulfillment.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Whether in my field or in life in general, if I had to name three essential qualities, they would be: curiosity, loyalty, and diligence.

Curiosity, first of all, because every aspect of life deserves to be explored and understood. We live in a world that can be challenging, and failing to seek knowledge or understanding can quickly put you in a position of weakness. Knowledge is a powerful, priceless tool. Being curious means constantly learning, questioning, analyzing — so you don’t get left behind by the world around you.

Next comes loyalty. In a field where teamwork is fundamental, it’s a highly valued quality. When you start a project with collaborators or friends, it’s crucial to be transparent, reliable, and honest. Keeping your word and staying true to others is one of the keys to moving forward together. Deception or manipulative behavior never works in the long run — not only is it toxic, but life has a way of making you pay for it eventually. Karma, in some form, always catches up.

Finally, diligence, which means the ability to act quickly and effectively. You have to stay in motion — always. It’s often said that a goal is only truly lost when you give up; the real ending is when you stop trying. Regardless of immediate results, what matters is continuing to take action, actively and with purpose. Sometimes, a spontaneous decision can lead you to places you never imagined. So take action — always.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

Twelve months is far too short a timeframe to talk about real growth in the audiovisual field. We’ve been “existing” for six years now, and we’re still in an embryonic stage. Where we’ve really seen a difference is in terms of our equipment and material resources. In the beginning, we were working with very low-budget gear. Over time — let’s say in four or five years — we managed to reach a level that felt like a milestone for us, even though there’s always more to aim for.

Our film budgets went from around $1,500 to nearly $40,000 on average (especially with our latest project, Makiko). That’s something we’re proud of, because we truly started from nothing. And I’m not saying this to brag or to seek recognition — I’m genuinely proud of the progress we’ve made. That said, I always remind myself not to rest on my laurels. Maybe in five years I’ll look back and find $40,000 ridiculous. In fact, it already seems small compared to industry standards, where most documentaries start at around $150,000.

Again, I’m simply talking about evolution — I don’t believe that money or gear defines the value of a film. You can create beautiful things with very little, and that has to remain part of our DNA (Of course, everything is subjective — I’m not saying we create beautiful things, but that we’re trying to move in that direction). For example, I still use my $1,500 camera way more than our $10,000 ones. The value of a tool doesn’t always determine its usefulness. What matters is finding the right balance — the right note in the harmony — so it doesn’t feel off.

The most important thing is to stay humble and to stay aware of how much further there is to go.