argento at bifff 2005

Dario Argento being interviewed by Mattias Borgh during the 23rd edition of the Brussels International Film Festival of Fantastic Film (BIFFF)

Special thanks to Mattais for allowing this to be published at dark dreams.

MB: The first sequence of Do You Like Hitchcock? where a young Giulio (Elio Germano) is seen spying on two witches in a wooden hut really took me by surprise, both in terms of the strong colors and the location of the scene. It is very set apart from the rest of the movie. Can you tell us a bit about this sequence?

DA: Because I think that this is the first time that young Giulio understands that he is curious, that he is a voyeur. It is important to describe the character with the two witches. It is something which is similar to a nightmare, true but not true, no? It is something like in my old films. A scene that you don't understand exactly. The two girls are a bit lesbian, we see them kissing together and also participate in a sort of ritual. I think it's a good scene.

MB: The scene evokes a small memory of the witches in Suspiria and Inferno, are there any links between these movies?

DA: These are country witches, they live on the country side with animals like chicken, they kill the chicken. It's very different from the witches I use in Suspiria, they are big with enormous power (Dario raises his voice, making big gestures). No, these are witches who maybe just want to kill somebody, somebody will die, no? (Dario laughs).

MB: You have mentioned that Turin where you make a lot of your movies is famous for it's occultism?

DA: Yes, that is true.

MB: With you last two movies The Card Player and Do You Like Hitchcock? it seems that you have reconnected with your actors. You seem to have found a new joy in communicating with your actors. A few years ago when I talked to you during the Stockholm film festival it seemed like you at that point was a bit tired of working with actors. Can you comment on that?

DA: If you mention especially the last film I have a lot of very young actors. It was important to speak about my work. Maybe it is their first experience and we have to talk, like to a child. When you work with children it is difficult, you have to speak so that they understand you. To participate. For this reason I worked a lot with the actors of Do You Like Hitchcock? Most of the actors are very young: twenty-two or twenty-four, it is really their first experience.

MB: Is it more difficult for you to work with young inexperienced actors that might be prepared to work really hard for you in comparison to when you work with big name actors?

DA: No it is not hard, but the results are different. Because when they are famous actors they have a past and a personality which might be difficult to change. With the young actors it is easier, they are ready to follow you, to understand you, to be happy with you. That is the difference.

MB: For scoring Do You Like Hitchcock? You choose to once again work with Pino Donaggio. Some of the music was heavily influenced by "Hitchcock style music" like for example Psycho. How close did you work with Donaggio this time and was the Hitchcock influences something that you specifically asked for?

DA: I would like to remind you of something, when Brian De Palma was shooting one of his movies, Bernard Hermann died. Brian was desperately looking for someone that could compose like Hermann, he was mainly a violinist, a great one! Donaggio substituted for Hermann and wrote the music for De Palma. Since I wanted to make a film with musical influences from Bernard Hermann Donaggio was the obvious choice because he was his heir. Pino Donaggio is a great musician and my friend and we worked together. But we don't work together that often because like I said before, I am an unfaithful director (Dario laughs) and I with musicians I feel there is a necessity for changes!

MB: Talking about you directing for TV again. When you made the Door Into Darkness TV series for RAI it seemed like it was hard for you express yourself like you wanted. I was very pleasantly shocked when I saw Do You Like Hitchcock? where you kick start with violence and full nudity. What did RAI say about this?

DA: Door Into Darkness was made many years ago, people where different. Also the Italian TV was different. It was dominated by the Christian democrats, and, no, it was impossible. Today it is easier to pass, we have a lot of competition between the TV channels, so they try to do something more. So I am happy, this is good, this is very good! (Dario laughs)

MB: So you enjoyed making TV more this time?

DA: I can access nudity and violence, because I want that! I want to shock the television audience! (Dario laughs) Yes, usually the stories you see on TV are the same, very stupid! Stupid! It is not enough! I want to do something, I come from the movies. I want to show you something!

MB: Now after having finished Do You Like Hitchcock? for RAI you will go to the USA to shoot another TV series called Masters of Horror. Can you tell us something about that project?

DA: Well, hmm, the project is so complicated. I would prefer to talk about my project!

MB: I meant your project.

DA: I am the only non American director on this project and I start as the first. The first episode is mine, because I need to shoot the third film of the three mothers after this. For this reason I said, if you want me to do this film I have to start very early. I will be in the USA during fifteen days. With this project I am free, the producers said: 'You are free, you do what you want'. It is good.

MB: Will you direct or will you also write the script?

DA: I supervise the script, yes.

MB: So this time you did not write the script yourself?

DA: Not completely no.

MB: Can you tell us anything about the synopsis?

DA: Yes it comes from a cartoon, a strip. How is it called? A comic, yes, named Jennifer. It is a story like The beauty and the beast but in the same person. The beauty and the beast, no? One person is the beauty AND the beast!

MB: Some sort of Jekyl and Hyde?

DA: Yes, hmm… NO! (Dario laughing) But, no, other things. This is the secret of the film, it is about this story.

MB: Is it a feature length or is a one hour episode?

DA: One hour episode, two episodes are one film.

MB: How is it to be a film maker in Italy today? In the late seventies and early eighties there was a lot of film makers in Italy that made very high level cinema with small budgets. In the late eighties the whole production seemed to have stopped. You always managed to make movies. How hard was it for you to get projects started during this period?

DA: It was difficult to produce fantasy and horror films in Italy during those times. Now maybe things have changed a bit.

MB: Has this changed a lot for young film makers due to the access of digital video?

DA: Yes, of course. Because it is easier and not as expensive to make a movie. Anyway, everything still costs: Actors and so on.

MB: You have been producing movies before, could you see yourself support young film makers doing that again?

DA: For the moment it is difficult to support young directors, because the situation of the Italian cinema is different now. There are too many influences from television, to much.

MB: Before you filmed The Card Player you had a finished script for a movie called Dark Sun Glasses. You where almost going into production when the producers, the Cecci Gori Group went…

DA: (Dario starts to gesture) went full BAM! Explosion! Si! It was an adventure. I was prepared and then suddenly one morning I opened up the news paper and read: Cecci Gori in jail! Man, what is this? What has happened? This was a problem which was terrible. But I interpreted this as a sign. Destiny. Maybe that film was not good ? Maybe it was destiny. OK, I leave the project! Maybe in some years, but not now. I don't want to do that. I want to do something different.

MB: So no chances at all that you will finish this movie?

DA: No! Because I got to tired from the explosion of the Cecci Gori Group, it was a big shame for me. (Dario sounding very sad and disappointed, looking down)

MB: You have worked with a very high level of directors of photography such as Vittorio Storaro and Ronnie Taylor. Now you are preparing for the third mother, both Suspiria and Inferno are very visual movies with advanced camera work. Who do you have in mind to shoot this film for you?

DA: (Long silence) In the same way of course! Because it is the third episode of the saga. But any name of the director of photography, no, I don't know that. For the moment, I concentrate on the film in the USA and then come back. One project at a time, no?

MB: Are there any DP's that makes you think: "I have not worked with this man" that you would like to work with on any upcoming projects?

DA: The director of photography is in the project. When you have a project, you become the project. I don't think of the DP as a star! That I say: I would like to work with him! Ah, please, please, work with me! No, it is a project, it is like: Do you understand the project? No. Then OK, bye bye! (Dario laughing)

MB: OK, the final question is about the DVD format. When I saw your movies the first times I had to buy bad quality VHS tapes from some weird person. You could hardly see what was going on. Plus these versions where often: censored, changed music, new titles! But now with DVD most of your movies are coming out in pristine editions: original aspect ratio, good sound. Your work as you intended it to be seen is there for you fans in very good quality. Is that something you appreciate?

DA: Of course! But you have to remember that in your country, Sweden, my films where forbidden for fifteen years or more! I don't know why, but they where cut, it was a massacre! For a long time I cancelled Sweden from my landscape. Then suddenly a friend of mine from Stockholm called me, he is a critic…

MB: Ronny Svensson?

DA: Ronny! Yes! (Dario giving me a big smile) calls me: A miracle, the government has changed and the censorship is finished! Ah, happy! It was great things! And then it was an invasion of my films in good quality, not from drug dealers but for real: in the shop windows! This was the story.

MB: Now all your movies are out on DVD except one!

DA: Ah, this is a problem! About Four Flies? We have some problems concerning the rights, I don't know. It is too much for me, lawyers, court! I don't want to think about this! There is a problem with the rights!

MB: : Ok, that was it! Thank you very much!

DA: OK! Bye bye, Ciao!

I want to humbly thank Mr. Dario Argento, for not kicking my ass when I struggled posing the questions. It is hard not to freak out and talk too much when you are interviewing a hero of yours!

[interviste]

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