Lynne Ramsay: “Kevin’s violence can be compared to the violence of the world”

Scottish director Lynne Ramsay and the cast of her movie We Need To Talk About Kevin, selected in Competition, spoke to the press this Thursday morning. Highlights.

Lynne Ramsay discussed the genesis of her film:
 “I normally get quite engrossed when I embark on making a film, but to deal with a story of this kind, I thought I should take take time to let the project mature. I always imagine my films in very visual manner, in my head. It was a real challenge for me because it was the first time that I had decided on this kind of structure.”

Tilda Swinton talked about the solitude of her character Eva::
“For a mother,the feeling of loneliness is sometimes very real. Being a mother can be very violent, very bloody. The idea of giving birth to a human being who incarnates that same violence is terrifying. This film is a voyage where we study the emotions of a mother and the breakdown of family relationships.”

 
Ezra Miller spoke about the personality of Kevin:

“I’m 18 years old and I fear I might be linked to Kevin in some way. The idea horrifies me. I think evil lives in each of us. And I delved deep inside myself to find that evil, to play Kevin.”

John C. Reilly talked about Franklin, Kevin’s father in the film:
“Kevin manipulates his father and takes advantage of his dad’s unconditional love for him to combat his mother. Franklin feels the scorn of his son, but like any father, his love comes out on top. He tries to do his best to make sure that everything goes smoothly in the family.”.

Lynne Ramsay on the movie’s violence:
“I didn’t want to show the massacre, not only because I didn’t want to film something so terribly violent, but also to preserve the point of view of the mother, who was only able to imagine the scene. As for the violence in Kevin, it can be compared to the violence in the world”.

Interview by B.P.