編者按：MIFF25結束了，但是好像大家都還沉浸在趕場子觀影的狀態……不能自拔！我像前兩周一樣，早上打開了網頁，想看看有沒有我喜歡的電影不用standby了！可是……結束咧！但看到MIFF Awards的獲獎是《詩人》，哦，還有個導演的QA環節可以拿出來分享一下！很有意思！如下：

關于創作靈感來源 Interviewer: You mentioned feeling frustrated with cinema, even wanting to quit. Can you talk about that moment? （沒錄上，我編的） 采訪者： 您提到過曾經對電影感到非常沮喪，甚至一度想要放棄。能和我們聊聊當時的處境嗎？ Director: Like frustrated of cinema I wanted to quit because making independent cinema in Columbuia is quite hard I guess here exponents environment. But and like I was gonna feel I was getting old and I in my first film I we finish it during the pandemic so we have to put around we could release the film. I was thinking that I my economic stability was not the best like I spent a lot of years making cinema. I was thinking that maybe I should focus on my other job. I'm a professor as well in Columbia. 導演： 是的。當時我對電影非常沮喪，甚至想過放棄。在哥倫比亞拍獨立電影真的很難，環境也不算友好。我感覺自己在變老。我的第一部電影正好在疫情期間完成，卻只能等待上映的機會。當時經濟狀況也很不理想，畢竟我花了許多年在電影上。我甚至想，也許該把精力轉向另一份工作——畢竟我還是哥倫比亞大學的一名教授。 Interviewer: So in a way, this film was born from imagining the worst version of yourself in 20 years? 采訪者： 所以，這部電影可以說是源自您對“20年后最糟糕的自己”的想象嗎？ Director: Now I was a professor, and I started thinking what would I become with cinema in 20 years. Probably one of my own professors in Columbia. There are these professors who are like these cops, these old men with views stuck in the past, like old-fashioned dinosaurs. And I was afraid of becoming that. So I said maybe I’ll make a film about the worst person of myself. You started from frustration, but I used it. It’s funny because I was thinking of making a film about me in 20 years, the worst person of myself. When I made it, I kind of reconnected with my younger self, when I was feeling so passionate about cinema again. Because comedy—for the first time I was so radical with comedy that I decided to go all the way. Somehow I reconnected with the passion of cinema through that. 導演： 當時我已經是教授了，就開始思考：如果我繼續拍電影，20年后我會變成什么樣？也許就會像我自己的那些老師一樣，固執地停留在過去——就像“恐龍”一樣。我害怕自己變成那樣。所以我決定，不如拍一部關于“最糟糕版本的自己”的電影。雖然出發點是沮喪，但我把它轉化成了創作。滑稽的是，當我真的去拍攝這部關于“未來最糟糕自己的”電影時，我反而重新與年輕時那個充滿激情的自己建立了聯系。尤其是喜劇——這是我第一次如此徹底地投入到喜劇中，決定全力以赴。某種程度上，這讓我重新找回了對電影的熱情。 Interviewer: And did that help you overcome the frustration? 采訪者： 這是否幫助您克服了當時的沮喪？ Director: I think I managed to put my frustrations as an exorcism, to sort of feel again the passion, the flame of professional cinema. It was something like that. 導演： 我覺得自己把那份沮喪當成了一種“驅魔”的過程，借此重新感受到專業電影創作的火焰與激情。大概就是這樣。 關于角色塑造 Interviewer: You just mentioned that this film was born from the idea of what the worst version of yourself would be in 20 years. One character even describes him as a walking problem, but at the same time he’s quite endearing. As a writer, that balance must be difficult. How did you create him, and how did you find the balance between being incredibly frustrating and also generous? 采訪者： 您剛剛提到，這部電影的靈感來自“20年后最糟糕的自己”這個想法。片中甚至有角色形容他是一個“行走的問題”，但同時又讓人覺得可愛。作為編劇，這種平衡一定很難把握。您是如何塑造這個角色的？又是如何在“令人沮喪”和“慷慨可親”之間找到平衡的？ Director: Even though he fails a lot and he’s a problem, I wanted to portray his fragility. When I was writing the script, I was thinking about many things—like all the dilemmas in cinema. In some way, I felt like a critic, because I also see many issues with cinema, like making a film in Colombia, which I tried to portray. But I also have a lot of issues as a man nowadays. I’m at an age where I realize I’m no longer young, but I still feel connected with the younger generation. I carry prejudices from the past, yet I’m also searching for hope. So I put those dilemmas into him. It was very hard to finance the film, because honestly, nobody really cares about these kinds of stories. 導演： 雖然他不斷失敗、問題重重，但我還是想表現他的脆弱。在寫劇本的時候，我思考了很多事情——比如電影中的困境。在某種程度上，我就像一個批評者，因為我也看到電影本身的許多問題，比如在哥倫比亞拍片時所面臨的挑戰，這些我都試著寫進去了。同時，作為一個男性，我也面對許多問題。我正處在一個意識到自己已不再年輕的年紀，但又仍然能與年輕一代產生聯系。我背負著來自過去的偏見，卻也在尋找希望。所以我把這些矛盾放進了角色里。融資過程非常艱難，因為坦白說，沒有多少人真正關心這樣的故事。 Director: I wanted to put a lot of problems into him, to make it more realistic, more personal. In many ways I projected myself onto him. Then we found this actor who changed everything. At first the character was written as someone less dynamic, less appealing, but when this man came, he gave the role his own personality—his way of speaking, walking, running. It was fascinating how he made it his own. So I decided to embrace the comedy more and more, not just to laugh at myself, but to laugh at everything. In the end, of course, humanity was essential. That was always in the writing process—listening to the characters, understanding them, and letting them tell the story. 導演： 我希望把許多問題都賦予他，讓這個角色更真實、更私人化。某種程度上，我把自己投射進了他身上。后來我們找到了一位演員，他改變了一切。最初這個角色被寫得有些單薄，也并不討喜，但當這個人出現時，他賦予角色自己的個性——說話的方式、走路的姿態、奔跑的樣子。他讓角色徹底屬于了自己，這一點非常奇妙。于是我決定更徹底地擁抱喜劇，不只是嘲笑自己，而是去笑對一切。最終，人性仍然是核心。這始終貫穿寫作過程——傾聽角色，理解他們，并讓他們自己去講述故事。 Interviewer: I must ask you about Obama—is that how you pronounce his name? How did you find him? He’s pretty amazing. Even the way he stands is funny. 采訪者： 我必須問一下這位演員 Obama——我這樣讀對嗎？你們是怎么找到他的？他真的非常出色，甚至只是站在那里都很有趣。 Director: We made a long casting call, about two years before shooting. I wanted to work with professional actors, but on the other hand, we also wanted to bring in people from the world of poetry and writing. One day a friend sent me a Facebook profile, saying this guy might work in my film. He turned out to be my friend’s uncle, a high school teacher. At first, I thought maybe he could play a small part, but not the main role. Then we called him in for casting, and when I saw him, I started thinking more. At the beginning, I wasn’t sure—when you’re casting, you have to “see” the film, but at that time it’s not easy. It took me a while to realize he could be the character. From the first test to the next callback took a year. During that time, we talked a lot, and I realized he had something special. 導演： 我們在開拍前進行了長達兩年的選角。我一方面想找職業演員，另一方面也希望能帶入一些來自詩歌和寫作圈子的人。有一次朋友發給我一個 Facebook 個人資料，說這個人可能適合出演。結果他竟然是我朋友的叔叔，一個中學老師。起初我只覺得他可以演個小角色，但不是主角。后來我們請他來試鏡，當我看到他時，我開始認真思考。但一開始并不確定——導演在試鏡時必須“預見”電影的樣子，可當時很難看清。花了我一段時間才意識到他可能就是那個角色。從第一次試鏡到下一次召回，中間隔了一年。在那段時間里，我們交流了很多，我漸漸發現他身上確實有些特別。 Interviewer: That’s amazing. But he didn’t have professional acting experience, right? 采訪者： 太不可思議了。但他并沒有職業表演經驗，對嗎？ Director: No, he didn’t. But he is truly an actor. In cinema, the ability to perform is really the ability to show your soul. He has that ability, and that’s what makes him a real cinema actor. He worked hard for two months to understand the character. He also improvised a lot of lines and changed many things. Some of the funniest moments came from him. The final version of the script was completed after the rehearsal process, because he contributed so much. 導演： 沒錯，他并沒有職業經驗。但他確實是一位真正的演員。在電影中，表演的本質就是展現靈魂。他具備這種能力，這就是他真正屬于電影演員的地方。他花了兩個月的時間去理解角色，非常努力。他還即興創造了很多臺詞，修改了許多細節，其中一些最有趣的瞬間都來自他。最終版本的劇本，其實是在排練過程中逐漸成型的，因為他貢獻了太多。 Interviewer: That must have been exciting for you as a filmmaker. 采訪者： 對于您作為導演來說，這一定非常令人興奮。 Director: It was a big surprise. He brought so much to the film. Especially the physicality of comedy—he’s almost 60, he doesn’t exercise, but in the film he had to run, move, do physical things. He really embraced it and worked so hard. 導演： 是的，這對我來說是個巨大驚喜。他為這部電影帶來了很多東西，尤其是肢體喜劇的表現力。他已經快60歲了，平時并不鍛煉，但在片中必須跑動、做各種動作。他全情投入，非常努力。 關于“被影響” Interviewer: Which movies did you look to as reference points when making this one? 采訪者： 在創作這部電影時，有哪些影片是您的參考？ Director: The main one was Close-Up. It was the first film that came to mind, because I wanted to make a film about my own issues. I’ve always loved that film, especially the way it portrays the artist within Iranian society. I was also inspired by Ulrich Seidl. When thinking about aesthetics, we wanted to make something with a sense of the past, because this character is stuck in the past. We looked a lot at low-budget films from earlier times. 導演： 最主要的參考是《特寫》。這是我首先想到的一部片子，因為我想拍一部關于自身困境的電影。我一直很喜歡那部作品，尤其是它在伊朗社會中對藝術家的描繪。我也受到了烏爾里希·塞德爾的啟發。在美學上，我們希望影片帶有一種“過去的質感”，因為角色本身就停留在過去。所以我們參考了許多早期的低成本電影。 關于音樂 Interviewer: The music in the film is so distinctive. How did you choose it to convey the characters’ inner turmoil? 采訪者： 影片中的音樂非常獨特。您是如何通過音樂來表達角色的內心動蕩的？ Director: The music was really the work of the composers. We found them in Sweden. They are so sensitive, so amazing. They watched the film and created many pieces. I wasn’t even sure how to tell them what I wanted, but what they made fit the film so naturally, it felt like magic. It was important to give them freedom. I wanted the narrative and the music to be very free, so I let them do what they wanted. 導演： 音樂完全歸功于作曲家們。我們在瑞典找到了他們，他們非常敏感，也非常出色。他們看過影片后創作了許多作品。我甚至不確定該如何向他們表達需求，但他們寫出的音樂和電影自然契合，就像魔法一樣。我認為給他們自由很重要。我希望無論敘事還是音樂都保持開放，因此讓他們隨心創作。 關于“編劇” Interviewer: How did you create the space to write the script? Any advice for young writers? 采訪者： 您是如何為自己創造寫劇本的空間的？對年輕編劇有什么建議嗎？ Director: This is my second feature, and I somehow learned to write scripts along the way. I think it’s about discipline—you must understand that you are a screenwriter, and you need to sit down and write. It’s not about talent, it’s about doing the work. My routine is simple: I wake up, have a coffee, and sit down to write in the morning. It takes time to understand the story, to read, to watch films. I realized I really enjoy the process. The best moment for me in cinema is writing. The worst part is finding the money. 導演： 這是我的第二部長片，在這個過程中我學會了如何寫劇本。我認為關鍵在于紀律——必須意識到自己就是編劇，然后坐下來去寫。這并非取決于天賦，而是取決于是否去做。我每天的習慣很簡單：起床、喝咖啡，然后坐下寫作。理解故事、閱讀、看電影，都需要時間。我發現自己非常享受這個過程。對我來說，電影中最美好的時刻就是寫作，而最糟糕的部分大概就是尋找資金。 關于“改變” Interviewer: At the end of the film, where do you think Oscar is? Do you believe Daniela and Oscar ever truly reconcile? Is being an ideal father his true dream, rather than being a great poet? 采訪者： 在影片結束后，您認為奧斯卡會怎樣？您覺得 Daniela 和 Oscar 最終能真正和解嗎？對他來說，當一個理想的父親會不會才是真正的夢想，而不是成為一個偉大的詩人？ Director: Change is very difficult. Sometimes I’m surprised that people can really change. It’s a process. The scene with the grandmother and mother reminded me a lot of my own family. Even problematic people can try to change, even if they fail in the end. I wanted to give him hope—that people can change, even if imperfectly. At the same time, making cinema itself is obsessive. We become consumed by the art, by the desire to be recognized. But for me, I realized it’s important to also live, to relax, to enjoy the moment, and to find that light, whether it exists or not. 導演： 改變非常困難。有時我會驚訝，人真的能夠改變。這是一個過程。影片里祖母和母親的那場戲，讓我想起了很多關于自己家庭的記憶。即使是有問題的人，也會嘗試去改變，哪怕最后失敗。我想要給他一絲希望——人是可以改變的，哪怕不完美。同時，電影創作本身就是一種執念。我們會被藝術吞沒，被渴望被認可的欲望吞沒。但我逐漸明白，更重要的是去生活，去放松，去享受當下，并在其中找到屬于自己的光，無論這光是否真的存在。 （完） 關于我 —— 看完之后，內心有一陣子沒能平靜。