Matt Dillon, an All-Round Artist in 65th TIFF

Actor, producer, and director Matt Dillon, a complete artist with a forty-five-year career behind him, attended the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, where he presented a comprehensive program. In addition to holding an intense press conference, he presented his film Being Maria, in which he plays Marlon Brando during the filming of The Last Tango in Paris, and also attended with the artist Jesper Just at the MOMus gallery, where the Dane has offered his installation during the festival. As a finale, before the screening of City of Ghosts at the Olympion theatre, a film he directed and starred in 2002, he was presented with the Festival’s honorary Golden Alexander for his overall contribution to cinema. Youthful, dynamic, and devoted to the audience, the actor, who turned sixty in February —and is also a passionate collector, a fan, and a deep connoisseur of Cuban and Latin music, but also a painter with a long-standing career— confirmed the charisma he conveys on screen and why he is so loved by the audience.

Being Maria

The press conference occurred on Monday, November 4th, at Stavros Tornes Theater, moderated by Yorgos Krassakopoulos, the Festival’s Head of Programming. Replying one of the first questions on his most recent film, Matt Dillon stated: “I couldn’t turn down this role. Marlon Brando was extremely influential and changed the course of cinema multiple times throughout his career. I loved the script; the portrayal was fair and honest. Later, I regretted it somewhat because it was a really difficult mission, given the fact that Marlon Brando was one of the most fascinating figures of the 20th century. At the same time though, I enjoyed the challenge in it. I like to take risks in my career, and this was one of the biggest I’ve ever taken. I will always look at Brando with a sense of gratitude, as he had an immense influence on me. No actor ever wishes to be compared to him. He always managed to present himself as vulnerable and spontaneous, elements that he and actors of his caliber brought to cinema. This sensitivity is inherent in the human experience and it is so very important to me. Marlon Brando transformed the image of the American man at the time – John Wayne was a thing of the past.”

“There was a strong personal element to this particular role. Following the conclusion of my second film, I enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Institute to take acting classes, and there we kept discussing figures such as Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Montgomery Clift. It was this holy trinity of actors that profoundly altered the way things work in movies. Another thing that made this role extremely attractive to me was the persona of Maria Schneider, who started working as an actress at a very young age. I can identify with that as I also took my first steps in acting really young. I have always been very understanding of the position she found herself in. Of course, it differed greatly from my own, but I can still relate to her in a way. I know how it feels to be a fresh face on set, lacking experience, and being unable to set strict limits, or have the privilege of autonomy. That was why I was deeply moved by Anamaria Vartolomei’s performance. Ultimately, I felt really proud to be part of a film that gave voice to Maria Schneider. Jessica Palud had the foresight to avoid making a political film, or a revenge story. Instead, she crafted a genuine personal story, which sheds light on hidden aspects of an event,” he added.

Concerning the infamous scene from Last Tango in Paris, Matt Dillon said: “Without meaning to diminish Bernando Bertolucci’s contribution to cinema, the contribution of a truly great filmmaker, I think he made a grave mistake in the controversial scene with Maria Schneider. I do not believe that he intended to nurture a sadistic outcome in any way. But it would also be a mistake to simplify the facts. Maria Schneider’s life was already incredibly unstable due to her familial background. Her experience on the set that day was the worst possible scenario for her, to find herself in such a situation. I continue to believe, though, that Last Tango in Paris is a masterpiece. This particular scene is the only element I abhor about the film. It was a mistake that resulted in a huge trauma. Perhaps the trauma was already underway, but it was certainly exacerbated by this situation. This is a pivotal point in her history, but it is by no means her entire story.”

Then, referring to sex scenes in cinema, he mentioned: “I have filmed many sex scenes and not one of them has been easy. Nowadays, there is a new profession on set, the intimacy coordinator, who is responsible for the actors’ appropriate and necessary psychological preparation for sex scenes. The first time I worked with an intimacy coordinator was in Being Maria. Some people might dislike the idea of a kind of ‘policing’ in their conduct. However, an intimacy coordinator provides everyone with a safe framework, ultimately allowing for far greater possibilities.”

Matt Dillon, director

As for his first steps in filmmaking, he shared the following with the audience: “I always wanted to give it a try at directing! I had done a couple of small projects, music videos, and TV stuff. There is a different kind of satisfaction in full-length films: cinema is the director’s artistic medium. I always wanted to direct and this particular story was an idea I was experimenting with for a long time, based on true stories from some sketchy characters I met in New York. I filmed it in Cambodia, a country with no film industry infrastructure at that time, but fortunately things have changed since then. We wrote the script with an amazing writer, Barry Gifford. I learned a lot from this film. It provided me with the opportunity to attempt something different and evolve further, in a new way.”

Later on, addressing his recent comeback to directing with the film The Great Fellove, he said: “Prior to working on City of Ghosts, I had filmed some footage of the Cuban musician Francisco Fellove. He was an amazing artist and singer, fairly known during the 50s. We shared a common love for African and Cuban music, and the jazz he played incorporated such elements – he was a true pioneer. I filmed so much footage I didn’t know what to do with it, and I ended up putting it aside. I always thought it had merit, and revisited it years later. It was a long but enjoyable process, primarily due to my passion for music.”

At this point, discussing his introduction and connection with the Danish visual artist Jesper Just, he commented: “As soon as we met in Berlin, we immediately clicked. We stayed in touch and he shared with me his idea: to film my brain in an MRI scanner while I was embodying a role. I was uncertain of what to answer. Examining the human brain is really interesting. Jesper clarified that we weren’t doing anything scientific because he didn’t intend to examine many people, just me. It was a purely artistic endeavor. When I was filming a movie with Fernando Trueba in Pelion, Jesper Just contacted me once again, suggesting we do the shoot in Paris, in a medical institute. I am terribly claustrophobic and so, I was trying to convince him to work with someone else; for instance, my friend Charlotte Gainsbourg. However, he was adamant that it should be me. Ultimately, it was both an experiment and a real work of art. The doctor overseeing the whole thing also checked my brain, informing me that my brain is incredibly healthy. I asked him whether it was a smart one as well, and he just insisted that it was incredibly healthy,” he humorously stated. Additionally, he added that he attended the premiere of Interfears in Denmark, and invited Lars von Trier, with whom he had worked in The House That Jack Built.

Next, upon reflecting on his interest in painting, he divulged: “I come from a family with rich visual stimuli. My whole childhood revolved around drawing and painting. It is something I engaged in occasionally, but eight years earlier I started doing it on a more regular basis. I like drawing, making collages, and writing poetry. Sometimes I need a break, and I take a pause. These are all creative endeavors, which share a lot of common elements. Some people only excel at one thing, while others are capable of doing many different things. I belong to the second category, and as such I feel very free to discover new experiences. Getting involved in many different fields keeps you feeling youthful.”

Nor was he reluctant to express his political views at the request of an attendee who asked him who he had voted for: “Of course, I voted! Without getting into a long discussion about politics and my ideologies, I’ll just tell you that I voted for Kamala Harris. She is my choice and I am comfortable with that, I consider her to be the best candidate.”

Matt Dillon and Yorgos Krassakopoulos at Stavros Tornes Theater © TIFF

When asked about his experience working with Gene Hackman in the film Target (1985), he mentioned: “I always wanted to work with him. I learned so much. I observed with unwavering interest his focus and consistency. He could take a bad script and imbue it with authenticity. He taught me the responsibility that comes with being an actor, and he always used to say: ‘Fill up before each scene, prepare, as if you are loading a gun.’ Finally, touching upon his collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos in Nimic, he remarked: “I was shooting a documentary in Cuba when I was informed that Lanthimos was interested in working with me on a short film. I like his work, he is a remarkable filmmaker, one of the few truly unique auteur voices in the world. It’s great to work with him. We shot the film in Mexico. I still remember that scene where I had to eat a boiled egg. I ended up eating two dozen, just like Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. Yorgos is incredible and he masters his art with precision. I had difficulty understanding at times what he wanted of me. To be honest, the meaning of the film is still unclear to me. I want to collaborate with him again, as I consider him to be fantastic. You are very fortunate to have such a great filmmaker. Actually, Yorgos Lanthimos may be Greek, but he belongs to us all,” he concluded.