Woody Allen: “I wanted to make Paris look beautiful.”

Woody Allen came to present his feature film Midnight in Paris, which will open the Festival, with actors Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, actresses Léa Seydoux, Rachel McAdams, and producer Jaume Roures

Woody Allen on Owen Wilson

 “Owen is the complete opposite of me, which is a huge help.  I am an European-looking East Coast intellectual. He is a West Coast blond, and a beach lover…”

Rachel Wilson and her character

 “Woody told me ‘You won’t be playing an object of desire. I hope it’s ok with you.’, and I was really excited about that. (…) Then Owen told me ‘You’re so much funnier when you’re mean’.”

About director of photography Darius Khondji

“I had noticed his work in Stealing beauty directed by Bertolucci, I was really impressed. I wanted to make Paris look beautiful.”

Woody Allen and his references

“When I was a young man, my friends and I were really influenced by European (Swedish and Italian) filmmakers, but also by French directors such as  Godard, Truffaut, Resnais, and René Clair.”

Woody Allen and the script

“The characters of Picasso, Hemingway and Dali were easy to portray. I didn’t try to make them meaningful and deep, just amusing.”

Interview by N. S.