TORONTO, ON – The Room Next Door is Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature, but Tilda Swinton points out that his was never written in a language that other people actually speak. .
“He writes in Pedro, and here he is making another movie in a different version of Pedro, which just happens to look a little bit like English,” Swinton said.
Set in New York, Swinton plays Martha, a terminally ill woman who chooses to end her life. After reuniting with her friend Ingrid, played by Julianne Moore, Martha convinces her to stay and be with her before making a decision.
Beyond the film’s story, Swinton said he believes individuals should have a say in how they live and die. She admits that she personally witnessed a friend’s thoughtful farewell.
“I’ve had the good fortune in my own life to have someone in Martha’s shoes ask me to be Ingrid (Julianne Moore),” Swinton said.
She said the experience shaped her attitude toward life and death. “Not just the ability to be a witness to other people in those situations, but also to one’s own life and death.”
Swinton told The Associated Press that he was “in the room next door” to Almodovar. He had the idea of letting people die of their own free will. Comments have been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: In approaching the role, what were the challenges in getting into the role?
Swinton: I felt truly blessed by this opportunity. Many of us have probably been asked to bear witness to the situation that Julianne Moore’s character finds herself in: a dying person. Whether we want to orchestrate our own dismount or not, being in that position as a witness is something I have had the privilege of experiencing many times in my life, starting at a young age.
AP: Many people have the experience of caring for a terminally ill family member, can this film help them?
Swinton: This is a really beautiful poem about the possibilities of attitude. I think Martha (played by me) has a really inspiring attitude towards her own life. This is a really generous proposal, and it might help people realize that it is possible to face your death with dignity, and that’s exactly what we’re talking about. I want to think
It’s really a fool’s errand to think that you won’t have to think about death, because it’s not just the unlucky who get sick or die. It’s inevitable. So we should accept that too. By the way, I think the more we accept that, the more enjoyable our lives will be.
AP: Your character does his best to be less criminal. Do you think this perhaps indicates that there is room for assisted suicide in society?
Swinton: There are many countries in the world where it is not a crime to actively support someone who plans their own death. And there are 10 states in the United States where it is not a crime for two doctors to support a patient’s willingness to take charge of their own death. And New York state, where our film is set, is not one of those 10 states. And I think there are all kinds of people, very wise, very caring people, very educated, very enlightened people, actively campaigning to widen this acceptance. Masu.
AP: You’ve worked with many great directors in your career, what adjustments did working with Pedro require?
Swinton: I had a taste of that in the short film “The Human Voice.” I made this in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. It was shot in 9 days. Very, very fast… And since it was a short film and we were in the middle of Corona, I thought Pedro was working very fast. No, no, that’s how Pedro does it. If you’re lucky, you can now discover a super-fast two-take.
AP: Does his style guide your performance down a natural path?
Swinton: I mean, it’s always really helpful to know a filmmaker’s work, just like being able to know Pedro’s work. I’ve known him since I was a student and have always loved him. It’s like a country. I would love to go to Almodovar’s world, but it’s not in Spain, it’s somewhere else. It’s his environment. So it’s always a bit of a journey to step into the box of a filmmaker creating that environment.
AP: In Venice, the film received a very long standing ovation from the audience. How validated was it?
Swinton: It’s still a little shocking to us. When there’s an audience, that’s the first sign that the soufflé has risen. Apparently the record of 18 and a half minutes is when you’re standing next to Pedro Almodovar, and you know that’s the 18 and a half minutes that people are really lovingly appreciating him for. It hardly gets any better than that.
AP: Do you ever worry about awards season when making a film like this? Is that something that comes to mind when you hear about this topic?
Swinton: Not mine. To be honest, I’m really clueless about that in particular. There are other things I’m thinking about. That’s the weather. It’s like saying, “Do you have in mind what the weather will be like in three months?” No, no. Let’s wait. Let’s keep it real. Let’s leave it as is for today.
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