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Remy Grelit is a two-time Oscar-nominated producer whose work has been awarded an Emmy, Peabody, César and BAFTA. For 15 years he produced Raoul Peck’s films at Velvet Film (Paris, New York), including I’m not your nigger (2016) and the HBO miniseries, Destroy all the brutes (2021). He then founded Warboys Films (Paris). In parallel, Grelit supported emerging filmmakers and produced seven debut documentaries, including The taste of the whale by Vincent Kellner (2022) and Garland Jeffreys: King Among by Claire Jeffries (2023). His recent works include Coup d’état soundtrack by Johan Grimonprez (2024), which won the Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation at Sundance (and was recently named one of The greatest documentaries of the 21st century by Documentary magazine, along with Peck’s 2016 paper) and closing by Michal Marczak (2026), which also premiered at Sundance and won the top prize at the Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival. Grelit is a member of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, the European Film Academy and the French Academy of Film.
IDA: Can you share a little about your background and experiences that have defined you as a producer?
Remy Grelit: I have always loved movies. I watched it a lot when I was a teenager, and when I grew up I thought I wanted to work in movies. I grew up in a rural town in France, I have no connection to the film industry. However, I had two privileges: first, although my parents were worried when I started talking about working in the movies, they were very supportive; And second, that small town had a single-screen movie theater that played the crème de la crème of arthouse cinema. At the age of 13, I discovered filmmakers such as Elia Suleiman, Michael Moore, Agnes Varda, Raoul Peck, Ken Loach, Sofia Coppola, Barbet Schroeder, Von Kar-Wye and many others.
I have spent a large part of my life with contemporary artists and filmmakers for whom cinema, art, life and social commitment are inseparable. Their work showed me that creative practice can be deeply connected to the world around us. I not only recognized myself with this approach, but also found a sense of belonging in it. It has profoundly shaped the way I think about storytelling and the kinds of stories I’m drawn to telling.
IDA: When did you start working in the documentary field and what initially motivated you to do so?
RG: Documentary producer entered my life in 2010. By this time, I was already working in several production companies on feature films and shorts as an assistant producer. Then I met Raoul Peck and worked on the production of a feature film we shot in Haiti. During the film’s release, there was an earthquake in Haiti, and Raul immediately decided to go there to help and film. It became a documentary and he invited me to shoot with him. So the first film I ever made was a documentary feature fatal aid (2013). This experience opened my eyes to a realm of creativity that I had only known as an audience member. Since then, although I have continued to produce feature films, I have been increasingly drawn to documentaries’ ability to explore new cinematic forms, directly related to the world we live in, and eventually decided to focus on non-fiction.
IDA: You’ve worked with many of my favorite directors, Raoul Peck, Johan Grimonpress, Brett Story, and more, just to name a few. What is it about a project or a director that makes you say yes?
RG: I have been fortunate to work with some incredibly creative and dedicated directors. One thing the famous filmmakers you mentioned have in common is that, despite having already built substantial bodies of work, they continue to take risks and push forward, both formally and substantively. I admire such an ambition and am happy to help them realize it.
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for saying yes, but there’s always an intuition that something feels right: the right person with a unique perspective, the right team, the right subject, and the right ambition to approach it. I also always ask myself if I am the right producer for this film and if what I can bring really makes a difference. If I feel deep down that the answer is no, even if it’s a director I’ve wanted to work with for a long time, I’d rather say no. It should always serve the project.
IDA: Along with major productions, you’ve consistently made room for productions by first-time directors like Vincent Kellner. The taste of the whale and Claire Jeffries King of In Between. What does this work mean to you?
RG: I have always been, and still am, involved in at least one first-time director project because I feel like it’s a counterbalance. When you’re going through a big production, with a bigger team, multiple partners and an established filmmaker, there are a lot of expectations. It’s also refreshing to work with someone who brings something completely new. These projects often have a sense of freedom and urgency that is difficult to reproduce later. Producing the first films also teaches me; They go against my own habits. Finally, and most importantly, it’s a way to give back to an industry that has given me so much. I took advantage of people who trusted me when I had no experience.
One of the first filmmakers I’m currently working with is Stephanie Andreu. his project Women go homeis a moving film that combines a forgotten chapter of Cypriot history with a deeply personal perspective, offering reflections on history, memory and the intergenerational legacy of social and political struggles.
IDA: Tell us about Warboys Films, your production company based in France. What inspired you to start the company?
RG: I work in different settings: as a lead producer, a minority co-producer, an executive producer in Europe and the US, because I feel that this particular moment requires a lot of flexibility. Owning my own company meant the freedom to make my own decisions, get funding and rights to build value that could be reinvested in future projects. Therefore, I can produce well-known filmmakers as well as first-time directors.
The company is also home to producer Sara Skrodzka, who is currently producing her first film as a producer. When the fire is asleep Eri by Mizutani. Most recently, we were also a co-producer with Christoph Bilsen Apologistwhich premiered at Sheffield Dockfest.
As for the name of the company, I could not decide. I was reading Virginia Woolf’s teenage diaries at the time. In these notes, you can really see how he moved from keeping a regular diary to developing a more literary voice, with narrative and structure, but still writing about everyday life. At the time, his family was spending the summer in a village in England called Warboys.
IDA: One of your last films, to close Had its world premiere at Sundance and won the Gold Alexander in Thessaloniki before screenings of True/False and DC/DOX. Michal Marczak said that meeting you at the pitching forum in Thessaloniki helped shape the project. What did the film need at that point and how did it change from the first line to the film that premiered?
RG: I knew Michail’s previous films and was already a big fan. My producing partner, Sara Skrodzka, is from Poland and my husband is Polish too, so I think! – I was naturally drawn to explore a cinema that has such a rich history and extraordinary creativity and craftsmanship. So when we heard about Michal Square, it was a no-brainer. Michal already had a very clear vision for the film. My role was to bring structure, creative dialogue and ambition. It was about protecting the vision of the project, while giving it enough structure to move quickly as things developed, finding the right financing partners, and ensuring that a film based in such a specific story in Poland could speak to audiences around the world.
The film came together incredibly quickly: only fourteen months had passed since Michal met Daniel, the main character, and the world premiere at Sundance. This was made possible thanks to Michal’s determination, dedication and unique craftsmanship, as well as the excellent production team we assembled: Monika Brady, Katarzyna Szczerba, Karolina Marczak and Sara Skrodzka. This collaboration was really special and I really appreciate the experience – not forgetting our wonderful editor, Anna Garnarczyk, and our fantastic sound team.
IDA: Between close’Running a festival and your other producing commitments, what are you working on now that you can talk about?
RG: closing It’s at a particular stage where it’s being shown at festivals around the world and also selling in different territories, so I’m still very involved with it on a day-to-day basis. Major production is currently underway Petra CostaThe next movie. I have wanted to work with Petra since we first met six years ago, so I feel very lucky.
IDA: Looking further afield, is there a type of story or director you haven’t worked with yet that you’re looking forward to?
RG: I hope to work again with some of the amazing filmmakers I’ve already worked with, and continue to inspire filmmakers who surprise me, even if they’re from places or disciplines I know little about, as well as filmmakers determined to reinvent themselves. Above all, I want to continue to make outstanding films that hopefully remain relevant, both in expression and in the way they do it. I want to continue to create art that speaks to audiences around the world. I want to continue to believe in documentary as a uniquely powerful medium, and to continue to believe in audiences to embrace more daring films.
