The following questions and answers are excerpted from a conversation that followed the NBR screening of The Guilty. There are many constraints built into this film… you’re in a call center, on the phone, there’s limited space to move. What drew you to that? Jake Gyllenhaal: I guess I’m a fan of creating a certain type […]
Mr. Sachs, can you tell us about developing the story?
Sachs: This is my fifth feature, and all of my films – while not strictly autobiographical – are very personal to me, and connected to my own life on some level.
Emma, what was your inspiration for the film?
I feel like a lot of film students heading into their senior year want to go out with a bang, like a huge dystopian sci-fi film or a period piece, and I was one of those kids.
What motivated you to expand the short?
It first started before the short was even finished, in the editing room.
Your DP said that his collaboration with you is one of the most unique he’s had with a director.
Edward Berger: We’re both obsessed with precision and architecture in the film. It’s not haphazard and we don’t try to find the shot on set. It gives me true pleasure to set up a shot and in that shot, have every department create the illusion that this is reality.
There have been other stories about the cartels and the drug war. Why did you want to tell this particular story?
Denis Villeneuve: For me it’s not a movie about cartels. I don’t think anyone will learn new things about cartels from this film.
How did the project begin?
David Petersen: So it began at a dog park, where all projects have to start!
What compelled you to make this film?
Vanderbilt: I’ve always been fascinated with journalism and I always sort of looked at it as the road not taken.
Can you talk about the experience acting in the film?
Marina De Tavira: When Alfonso invited us…when we finished the long casting process he said that it was a film about life itself.
Was the El Capitan free solo climb always the thing, or were you interested in Alex more generally?
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi: We were interested in Alex and interested in his process and interested in who he is as a human.
The film is freely adapted from a graphic novel. How did you approach the adaptation?
Kechiche: I came upon the comic book by chance and I was seduced by the drawings.
What was the process of getting in sync with each other? Was there a lot of workshopping or did you wait until the outset to really work out the scenes?
Viggo Mortensen: I don’t think we workshopped anything. When Vicky was doing something that worked really well, I didn’t say much of anything. But when I had a different thought or wanted to try something different, I would say something. But mostly, I thought she always understood the character really well, which was great.
When you were first pitched this story, what really clicked for you? Was there a moment or scene that really convinced you that you wanted to make this?
Peter Cattaneo: Well, it’s based on a memoir, and I think what felt really exciting was that you would never dream up this set of facts.
Kate, as a first-time director, you went out looking for a story. How did you discover these women and this story?
We took a wrong turn, found a woman and she said, if you want an amazing story, head east of Wall and you’ll find Tabatha. That’s what I did. And I met these two incredible women along with the rest of the teenagers on the ranch.
Jesse, what inspired this story? I understand it was a long road for you, between the initial idea and getting it up on the screen.
Jesse Eisenberg: Yeah, I’d been, like, sitting with the seeds of this movie for twenty years.