Nicole Kidman © AFP
PRESS CONFERENCE – Olivier Dahan: ” I wanted to make a film about cinema “
Grace of Monaco opened the round of press conferences that will take place during this 67th Festival de Cannes with the director Olivier Dahan, Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Jeanne Balibar and Paz Vega in attendance. Eric Gautier, director of photography, together with the two producers, Pierre-Ange le Pogam and Uday Chopra, were also present. Grace of Monaco is the first film that Olivier Dahan has shown at Cannes. In their own words.
The Australian actress Nicole Kidman was the first to speak, describing the demanding nature of playing Grace Kelly. “It was a real challenge, one of those parts that made a particular impression on me.” Tim Roth, meanwhile, stressed that he knew little about Rainier before making the film. “I was intrigued. I didn’t know much about him, which wasn’t a bad thing because it gave me a bit more freedom.”
Olivier Dahan refocused on the angle the film takes. “By looking exclusively at the year 1962, I wanted to give a complete portrayal of the actress and the woman in the intimate context of having to make some deeply personal choices. She is married, she has children, yet she is faced with some real internal battles.” The director went on to clarify his initial aim: “I wanted to make a film about cinema – it’s all about an actress. It’s not a biopic, even if it’s all true. I’m someone who reads a lot, who seems to collect information. The private choices of Grace Kelly are true, they’ve been well-documented, but I’m meticulous, and inspired by what I read.” Dahan concluded, “I wanted to work with my intuition, I didn’t just want to be factual about it, I wanted to go deeper than that.”
Reported by Hannah Benayoun
SCREENINGS :
Wednesday 14th May / Grand Théâtre Lumière / 8.00 p.m.-11.00 p.m.
