Question: I suppose we have to start with talking about how being President of the Berlinale came about, because when you were appointed, I didn’t see it coming?
Answer: No, totally. It was a total mindfuck when I got the text. I don’t want to be a pessimistic fuck, but there is no doubt that it’s… mutually beneficial. Like it’s clear that it’s great for them, they get some publicity off my name, which I’m completely game with because the more attention film festivals, even huge ones like this one get, the chances of more films that, usually wouldn’t get attention, do.
Q: In the Q&A yesterday, you referenced ‘group-thinking’ as a collective jury, which at first sounds Orwellian as fuck, but when looking at it in a positive perspective, it’s something really quite incredible and highlights, I don’t know, the importance of going to the movies to see films, but particularly with people.
I’ve always *loved* watching films with other people because of this. I mean I love watching films on my own, but with people you can just sit there and two hours later and have such a strong opinion on what you think of the film, and then someone else says something the complete opposite, and you think, fuck they’re right. Even if you don’t think they’re right it’s an incredible experience talking about this with other people in realtime, and this has just been augmented whilst being on this Jury. I mean I don’t feel like I am the “President” because I am surrounded by so many incredibly talented and proflic people, and when we deliberate every day, it’s just incredible to listen to all these different opinions on the same piece of work. We all look for films that push boundaries and take risks, those are the one’s that tend to take home the biggest prizes at film festivals, one that push the envelope, although films that tackle things that have already been tackled but in a different and fresh perspective equally get the chance. It’s just, yeah, a brilliant experience to watch a film and have a deeply personal experience and then compare it and contrast it to other people’s experiences and come out from *that* with a completely different perspective.
Q: I do have to ask… Team Edward or Team Jacob?
A: Team Edward all the way man.
Q: You seem really content with what Twilight has become in your life these days. Like you were taking the mickey of it in the Q&A, and you don’t seem, I don’t know, embarrassed that you were in a franchise like that in a event like the Berlinale.
A: No, completely. After Twilight ended and even during, it wasn’t what I wanted to be remembered for, like I had been acting for close to a decade before that franchise, worked with some amazing directors, and was annoyed that that’s what, I don’t know, all journalists were talking about. But I think the work I’ve done since then has sort of, I don’t know, bought me enough credit to start fresh.
Q: You definitely seem to be having a moment. You’re playing Susan Sontag soon, you’re aiming to shoot your directorial debut at the end of the year with Imogen Poots, you’re President of the Berlinale, and I’m sure there are multiple projects knocking around that we don’t know about, all the back off a nomination for ‘Spencer’ at the Academy Awards. For you is there any that stood out more than the others, or does this just feel the norm now for Kristen Stewart?
A: I don’t know man. You can never know. I mean it’s incredible, the nomination was great, and definitely felt like a culmination of the work post-Twilight, but yeah. I think particularly after the pandemic it’s been great to hit the ground running with all these amazing opportunities, but yeah, you can never really know in the moment.
Q: Still rocking to Pinegrove?
A: (laughs) Every fucking day. Are you a Pinegrove fan?
Q: Yeah I am, I saw them in London last Spring and haven’t been able to stop listening to them.
A:That’s so cool, I haven’t met many fans of them outside of America.
Q: I’m a sucker for indie pop/rock so they fell right into that sweet spot.
A: Same man, I can’t get enough of it all.
Q: We’re probably really insufferable for all our friends, listening to the moody indie music all day and never stopping to talk about it.
A: (laughs) yeah there was a period in time when I was self-conscious about it, so I tried to emigrate to other types of music to broaden my horizons, but honestly fuck them, I love it.
Q:Yeah I’ve been barred, by myself, from ever talking about Radiohead in front of other people.
A: Yeah I was in a *massive* Radiohead phase at your age. In Rainbows man. Can never get it ouf of my system.
Q: I think instead of fangirling about specific minute marks in ‘Weird Fishes’ I’ll end it here and let you get back to your group thinking.
A: (laughs) Thanks man. Really nice chatting to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
What do you think of this?