There’s More to Film than Meets the Eye
Nov 10, 2007
Storyline, acting, cinematography, set design, costume design – these are the elements of the celluloid art that either attract or discourage a viewer. But film is more than meets the eye – it is also a creative process, about which an ordinary person knows next to nothing. Let me offer you some information about the behind-the-scenes curiosities from films featured at the 18th LIFFe.
Let’s start with the infinity:
I Am a Sex Addict, film by Cahev Zahedi, who will also visit the Festival in person, has endured a 15-year-long production process. When a tenant demolished Zahedi’s flat, one of the film’s locations, 7 year’s worth of reel had to be discarded.
Perchance even a bigger mistake was made by Ewa Aulin, who turned up for the casting audition for
Giliap at the special request by Roy Andersson. She turned down the part and has to date not worked in film.
Perhaps family ties help you win recognition. Nepotism of smaller extent was committed by Julie Delpy who cast her own parents to play her character’s mum and dad in
Two Days in Paris.
Convincing interpretation can be hereditary, or simply “practiced-out”. An interesting method was employed by director Johnny To, who did not give a script to his players in
Exiled. Josie Ho and the rest of the cast had to create most of the text themselves through improvisation.
Natalie Portman definitely had it easy. Her appearance in
Darjeeling Limited takes only a few minutes; it took her short of half an hour to shoot her part. She was then able to enjoy a ten days’ travelling spree throughout the film’s location – India.
Our journey through film curiosities will conclude in an environmentally friendly vein - recycling: in
Becoming Jane you might find familiar the white, yellow and pink muslin dresses with typical 19th century patterns. All three have already been used in
Pride and Prejudice. Even more radical were the creators of
Michael Clayton who borrowed the Mercedes Benz featured in
The Devil Wears Prada for the explosion scene. It was sewn in half for the purpose of the talk between the devil woman Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, and for Michael Clayton, this year presented in LIFFe’s Avant-premieres, welded, repainted and blown up. And we though that the American films enjoy unlimited budgets.
Juš Milčinski
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