Lee Daniels: “I made this film by diving into my own past”

The entire cast of The Paperboy, the new film by Lee Daniels presented in Competition, talked to journalists during a press conference:

Lee Daniels remembers the state of mind he used to adapt Pete Dexter’s novel:
“There is some truth in this film. I used my own story for the character played by Macy Gray (Anita). Members of my family used to work as servants for white people. All these characters are part of my life. I made this film by diving into my own past and into my other films.”

Nicole Kidman talks about how she entered the role:
“I had to identify myself with the character I play, in order to play it in such a raw way. My job is to let myself go, to not work with my own feelings. None of the shots was the same, we were constantly exploring. I look for contrasts and diversity. I love expressing my imagination: this is what made me become an actress.”

Zac Efron, on his experience with Lee Daniels
“I wasn’t supposed to feel at ease. The character I play is a young, naive man who learns how to better understand the world. I loved shooting with Nicole Kidman. Today, I’d like to have other experiences in cinema, to go beyond frontiers. It was a dream and I hope to be able to continue to act in films like this. I was a blank page for Lee Daniels to write on.”

Matthew McConaughey tells us about the atmosphere of the film:
“Everything in the film is mysterious. A lot of things come to the surface, each character finds his own identity difficult. The Paperboy is not erotic but it has an erotic side to it. Lee likes to show what is between the lines.”

Interview directed by BP