What made the story right for a modern day interpretation?
Nicholls: I think if you pitch the story – an independent woman has to choose between three different contrasting men while maintaining her independence – I think that would feel very modern and contemporary.
What was your original artistic challenge when you were approached with this project? A profile of one person is quite different than your previous work.
Ted Braun: The previous films I’ve done, feature documentaries I’ve done (Betting on Zero, which looked at allegations of global economic criminality, and Darfur Now, which looked at allegations of massive, systemic violent crimes in Sudan) were, in different ways, ensemble stories about people trying to expose wrongdoing.
How did you find this story?
David Lowery: It was a true story about this guy whose life was too good to be true in terms of a narrative.
You were shooting in environmental conditions that were extremely difficult. Can you talk about those challenges?
Greengrass: The first day we shot in the lifeboat was really intense.
In Compliance, you were the sadist, the controller. There are very similar themes here but in this case you’re on the other side.
It’s kind of interesting. In Great World of Sound, I almost play a version of the Ann Dowd character from Compliance.
The following questions and answers are excerpted from a conversation that followed the NBR screening of Changing the Game. Michael, I understand you came to the project when a friend shared that they had a child that was transgender. How important was it to make this film in order to become that much more of an […]
The following questions and answers are excerpted from a conversation that followed the NBR screening of Florence Foster Jenkins. The opening scene is really beautiful, and frames the story so well. Can you discuss how that was conceived? Meryl Streep: Well, it’s interesting that you mention that scene, because the script that we both received […]
This film is very inclusive and focused on women. Were you aiming to make a film about female empowerment? What was your concept about the story, initially?
I like the idea of making something that people can take away from it whatever they want.
How do you approach these two very different characters who are the same person?
With excitement, because it’s a nice challenge. To play an older man, and then a younger man.
How long did it take for you both to adapt your own experiences for the screen?
Emily Gordon: We started writing this five years ago, which is five years after the events of the movie.
The following questions and answers are excerpted from a conversation that followed the NBR screening of I Used to Go Here. What was the inspiration for the film? Kris Rey: I found the inspiration for the movie when I was on tour with my last film [Unexpected] four years ago. I got invited to a bunch […]
What was it like adapting your book into your first screenplay?
Brian Selznick: I started writing the screenplay secretly at night when I was illustrating and writing another book.
Ms. Varda, you say very early in your film that “chance” is your assistant. JR, would you say that you agree with that philosophy?
JR: Yes, definitely and that’s why we got along well.
Mr. McConaughey, how did you approach Cooper?
I always saw Cooper as a man out of time.
How did you go about conceiving two characters who would ultimately converge?
Jason Reitman: I always thought of the movie as being like those lenticular posters, where if you look at the poster and you kind of move your head two inches, the image changes.