Ali Suliman

Further proof that the Israeli cinema is thriving, and continues to deliver thought-provoking portraits, the Mill Valley Film closed with the smashing film Lemon Tree. The drama demonstrates that Israeli and Palestinian can live and work together, at least in the artistic community. The situation is made more complicated due to politics and bureaucracy of the region.

It's the second collaboration between writer/director Eran Riklis and Israeli-Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass after the internationally renowned The Syrian Bride. In Lemon Tree, a Palestinian widow fights the Israeli Establishment to save her lemon grove after the Defense Minister moves in next door. The film shows that the Israeli mindset is so far off from the Palestinians – this despite being so geographically close. It's a clash of polar opposites where there's hardly any room left for human connection. The two lonely women at the center of the story have so much in common but can't communicate and can only stare at each other from afar. The film is even-handed and doesn't shy away of criticizing both sides. Its perfect allegory for what has taken place for the past 6 decades – if only the people in power could take a similar point of view as the film then a whole lot of healing would occur.

I interviewed lead actor Ali Suliman at the Sequoia theater in Mill Valley, CA.

Yama Rahimi: When did you decide to become an actor?
Ali Suliman: I decided early. I knew that I would become an actor since my older brother was an actor before me and has guided me. I had the talent as a kid and used to act out for family and friends.

YR: What was the biggest challenge for you as a Palestinian to act in Israel?
AS: First of all I didn't speak Hebrew which is not my language, so I had to learn everything in Hebrew which was very difficult. You learn Hebrew as a second language in school but in Nazareth which is the biggest Palestinian city in Israel we don't use Hebrew that much except for official uses such as the courts because there's no contact between the Palestinians and the Jews there.

YR: Is it common in the artist community for Palestinians and Israelis to work together like in this film?
AS: Well it's getting more common because artists such as in the film and theatre are open minded on either side, so it's easier for them to understand the other perspective and go deeper on issues. It's the artist's responsibility to hold the mirror to the society on important issues. To go beyond the news and politics and find out what's really going on. So we the artists work to build a bridge for us to reach over.

YR: How was working with the director Eran Riklis with whom you worked on "The Syrian Bride"?
AS: Well I had a small part in that film but I loved it so much and also loved working with Eran. I love the way he works and directs and he's amazing as a human being. He never made me feel like I'm a different than him. So we connected on both the professional and personal level. So we were like a family on this film.

YR: Did you receive any backlash from the Arab community for working with the Israelis?
AS: Not at all. I usually get in trouble when I travel to an Arab country because I have an Israeli passport. So for them I'm not a Palestinian but an Israeli. I can't travel to certain Arab countries because they haven't recognized Israel despite being a Palestinian which is the most complicated thing.

YR: So "Paradise Now". How did you get the role and how did it change your life?
AS: Well I was doing a lot of theatre before it and had some small roles in films. After I auditioned for the role, I had to go through a surgery but the director Hany Abu-Assad wanted me for the role, so he waited for me. Since I loved the script, I felt a great responsibility since it was an important role and my first leading role as well. Also to do a film about suicide bombers scared me a lot at first because it could have destroyed my career but I did it anyway even if it meant to be my last film ever. Instead it opened many doors and opportunities.

YR: How was your experience working on the Hollywood films "The Kingdom" and "Body of Lies"?
AS: It was amazing because I never experienced anything like it before. My first experience was on The Kingdom with Peter Berg and the amazing cast. I always dreamed to work on a Hollywood production. We usually have only one camera when we shoot a film but on that set there were five or so. So I was in awe with the whole experience. I was so lucky to get the part in Body of Lies because Ridley Scott is one of my favorite directors. He's such an amazing talent to work with. My agent sent me the script and I auditioned over a tape and was glad to get the part.

YR: How did you get the part in "Lemon Tree"?
AS: Well again my agent sent me the script and I knew it from Eran as well. So I auditioned for the role. Initially they were looking for an older actor because the role was written for an older character but Eran loved my audition that he decided to change the character. So it paid off at the end because it worked better.

YR: How was working with Hiam Abbass?
AS: She's a very good friend of mine and I love her. I always love to work with her and we just did our fourth film together. I think she will direct a film and I hope to work with her as my director as well. She's an amazing talent and giving as actor. I always look forward to work with her.

YR: I interviewed her for "The Visitor" and she's very funny and sexy that you don't get to see in her films because she has to play serious widow roles.
AS: That's right. She's funny and one of the sexiest women I ever met.

Charlie Kaufman

With a double-dose of Charlie Kaufman in Spike Jonze’s Adaptation, we had come to terms with the notion that we couldn’t get any closer into the mindset of one of the most brilliant screenwriters of our time, but with Synecdoche, New York we are pleasantly reminded that there is more to what makes Charlie Kaufman tick when he also happens to find his way behind the camera. This is 100% Kaufman – a film where you get an uncompromising look into the blue print of the human condition -- this comes across as a distinguishable classic and it has yet to make its theatrical run in the public domain. Watching it five months later, I’ve had time to think about the film and this time out, focused on the richness of its details and the accompanying multiple layers of the key characters. Kaufman did not set himself up for an easy task when he opted to direct his most ambitious script for himself, and in the same measure this thankfully never had the chance at getting lost in the hands of another. A superb cast helps him to achieve his vision about art and life and how this notion feeds off one another leading to dire circumstances, filled with hope and destruction. Kaufman's deadpan humor is full on and Philip Seymour Hoffman's Caden Cotard is a neurotic on steroids not that far off from what we have come to admire in the genius that is an integral part of a creator such as Woody Allen.

Yama Rahimi: First of all congratulations on your film which I think is 100% Charlie Kaufman.
Charlie Kaufman: So it seems for better or worse.

YR: I saw the film first in Cannes, then again last week. I think it pays off well the second time around.
CK: Yeah it works. You need to see it more than once. The trick is to get people to watch it more than once.

YR: Tell us about your Cannes and post Cannes experience.
CK: It was hard because the producers decided to screen the film for distributors a week before the official screening for the critics and the public. So when the film didn't sell, it became a stigma of the film that didn't sell and that really hurt us. Even though none of the US films got sold but it got stuck on us. There was a lot of speculation as far as why it didn't sell. So by the time it got to the screening, we had this negative press about us which is upsetting. I don't like Cannes in generally, the whole idea of that sort of pomp, red carpet, tuxedo and photographers and celebrity stuff that goes on there. It's all sort of embarrassing to me and not my favorite place to be but it was nice and flattering for us to be selected. I'm glad it's over.

YR: Tell us about you decided to direct this film.
CK: Well initially Spike Jonze was going to direct it but he wanted to do it after "Where the Wild Things are" and I didn't want to wait five years and I asked if I could do it and he said ok. Suddenly I was doing it. I guess was at the point where I was ready to take the plunge. So I was ready to do it and thought if the film finished on schedule I would turn 50. So I wanted get over my fears and do it. Also I thought this was a personal thing and if Spike wouldn't do it, I couldn't trust anybody else with it. You know I didn't want to go out and hire directors since I knew the script better than anybody. I was ready and I did it.

YR: Great. I'm glad you did.
CK: I'm tired of being afraid. I learned a lot from Spike. He does things without being afraid. He directed without having the experience and David O. Russell offered him an acting job and he did it. So it's a cool way to be in the world.

YR: Tell us about your relationship with Spike?
CK: He read Being John Malkovich and wanted to do it. At that point the project was around for a couple of years and nobody wanted to do it. People liked it but thought it was too weird to be a movie. So Spike did it and we became friends.

YR: It seems the role was written for Philip Seymour Hoffman.
CK: Well it wasn't since I thought Spike was going to do that. I never write for any specific actor because otherwise I would write what I have seen them done before instead of a real character. But when I was at the position of casting, I felt Phil was the appropriate actor for it. I couldn't think of anybody else. So I was very fortunate that he agreed to do it.

YR: While Nicolas Cage and Cameron did well on your previous scripts, in this film which's your most ambitious script and you went the whole nine yards to stay true to your vision. Was there any pressure from the producers on your casting?
CK: Kimmel Entertainment was financing the film and they were fine with it so there was never an issue. Even for Nicolas and Cameron, Spike thought they were right for the film. He initially didn't want Cameron but she really wanted to do it and she was good friends with Catherine Keener who was cast in the film and she wanted Cameron to do it. Cameron offered to read which someone in her position normally doesn't do. She was great and he loved her. I don't think she was cast because she was a movie star.

YR: The story structure is fascinating, is there a term for it? I refer it to the Bjork's "Bachelorette" video by Gondry which uses a similar structure in a simple way.
CK: Yeah I heard that comparison before. The reason Michel and I found each other is because we have similar sort of ideas. I'm not aware of any term but maybe recursive.

YR: Tell us about working with Catherine Keener. Is she your muse?
CK: No but I tell you we shot with her and Phil first. After the first day, I went and told her that I want her in every movie I make. She's amazing actress and person to work with. So generous with everybody and specially the actors.

YR: Did you write the child’s song at the beginning of the film?
CK: Yes I did and Jon Brion did the melody for it.

YR: Tell us about the actresses in your film which includes some of the best actresses around…
CK: It was great to have them and they all agreed to do the film. I cast Emily Watson because I already had Samantha Morton and both of them occupy the same space in my head. So subsequently the whole casting took place like that. Samantha told me that she was cast in a movie where the director told her how much he loved her in Breaking the Waves and she had to tell him that it was Emily Watson. I guess it's a common mistake but it was fun to have them together in the film.

Tom McCarthy

There's no sophomore slouch for actor-turned-writer and director Tom McCarthy. After The Station Agent, he returns with a mature and complex tale, lined with rich performances from veteran actors Richard Jenkins and the internationally renowned Hiam Abbass who makes her U.S. film acting debut. The story about a lonely professor whose path is crossed with several immigrant inhabitants of the culturally diverse New York city is both an original and an involving film that that stimulates the senses.

The Visitor is political film without being preachy, romantic without being cheesy, and entertaining without being dumb. Written by McCarthy, this showcases real people with real problems that you hear about but rarely see on the big screen. Fluidly directed by McCarthy who has no difficulty in sliding behind the camera, this small, independent film allows actors like Jenkins and Abbass to excel in their lead roles. Anybody looking for a smart and entertaining film about real people will want to seek this out once it hits theaters this coming friday - it may just be the best film so far in the new year.

I met with the Tom McCarthy (and the cast) at the Four Season's Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Yama Rahimi: First of all I loved the film which I think is the best film so far. I was impressed with the balance you kept without going overboard which is a "tightrope" for any writer.
Tom McCarthy: Yeah that was the big challenge...how to manage the two stories lines, one is a man's emotional journey and this young man's journey downward. Richard (Jenkins) was the anchor of the story. He's so subtle and much of the first part is passive. I came back to his relationships with the characters.

YR: "The Station Agent" came out in 2003 and this film now. Tell us about this project!
TM: Slowly. (Laugh) After I finished "The Station Agent". It took a long time with award season and foreign releases which takes a lot of time and energy. Then I went into acting projects. Then helped Pixar with one of their projects and some other projects. I started to think about my next project after I went to Beirut on the State Department's behalf to show "The Station Agent". Then I went back there and made a lot of friends. I will be honest but I didn't have many Arab friends as I do now. It was an eye opening experience to me that as an American I really didn't know much about the Middle Eastern culture and history and I consider myself a well read and traveled person. I thought if I know so little then what's the rest of the country like. That was a big part of the history. I met characters like Tariq and wanted the world to know them as well.

YR: How much research did you?
TM: Quite a bit. I traveled a lot and as an writer you make a lot of mental notes. So as an writer you make it personal. I did a lot of research on immigration and law in this country and a lot of it didn't get into the script since it would have too much. I talked to detainees and officers so I got an impression of what's like. It's a very complex issue that's you can't address it all in one film.

YR: ...well you brought a perfect balance that you addressed the issue but without being preachy. I also loved how you brought the music into the story from classical music to exotic music of Djembe.
TM: Actually I'm not a musician so it was easy to put myself in Walter's position. On my research about Africa I read this book called "The Prophet of Zongo Street" and found out the author Mohammed Ali was living in Brooklyn and also a musician playing the Djembe. So I tracked him down and he said what do I want from him. I said I don't know but told him to show me how to play the Djembe. So he would come and give me lessons. I did it to have Walter's journey with the instrument.

YR: How was Richard (Jenkins) with the instrument?
TM: Actually Richard had experience with drums so he had a rhythm and played it in the film. He actually knew more than Haaz did.

YR: Tell me about the casting Hiam Abbass. I'm a great admirer of her but not many people know her in the US.
TM: I was the same way. I first saw her in Beirut in a film called "Satin Rouge", then I saw The Syrian Bride and Paradise Now. I said who's this woman. I have to meet her. So I went to Paris and stalked her. I told her I have this project but she had no idea who I was nor had she seen The Station Agent. At first she thought I was weird that I kept asking her for another lunch, then another. So it started there I was picking up on her brain and came back the next summer with the script. So I wrote the part as much for her as I did for Richard.

Hiam Abbass & Richard Jenkins

YR: I really enjoyed your performances in this film. Tell me how the project came to you! I hear you were both involved early.
Richard Jenkins: I think Hiam was there before I was.
Hiam Abbass: No he said you met already.

RJ: Oh ok. We knew each other but weren't friends. We had the same agent and were shooting two different films at one point but staying in the same hotel. So we went for dinner and chatted about different topics. So he started writing this character of Walter who wants to learn about this other world of Tariq and Mouna. He was a fan Hiam and wanted her for the project.
HA: My agent set a meeting with him but at the time I haven't seen his film. He said he had this idea and liked me as an actor and he shares his writing process with actors he likes.
RJ: He didn't say that to me.
HA: Because I'm a woman.
RJ: He must have been desperate.
HA: Funnily enough after two hours of talking about everything, he didn't tell me anything about the film. So I said goodbye and didn't know what make of it. Two days later he called me asking for another lunch. Again he was asking me all these questions like "What if this Arab woman. Not you. How would she react to this or that" His process of thinking was advancing that I didn't know about. Again that experience enriched the script. Three months later I got the script. Even at that time I wasn't sure what he wanted and told my agent what does he want from me. I'm not selling information.
RJ: A year after our initial dinner, I got this script and he told me he wrote this part for me and whether I wanted to do it. I read it and was blown by the incredible script. I said nobody would give you the money with me in the lead. He said that's not what I'm asking you. So I said of course I wanted to do it. I think he asked me about you (Hiam) whether I knew you or not.
HA: I think he had me in mind but I didn't know till much later.

YR: I think the characters are tailor made for both of you that's hard to imagine with other actors. Sometimes when a film is cast any actor could be cast but in this case it had a lot texture that was based on your characters.
HA: It's a great thing you are saying because we brought each much to the roles. We got to know much about each other being involved in the script than you would if you do a table reading. So we brought in more by knowing each other. So it was natural process that occured and some stuff in the film came from that like the bed scene.

YR: Was there a lot of improvisation?
HA: Well since we were involved in the script, we knew but certain issues would rise and Tom would say "Keep it in mind" and we would arrive to a solution on the day when we did the actual scene.

RJ: Well at the end of film she calls me "Habibi" which mean "beloved" but during the rehearsal she said wouldn't call me that because you don't call someone just like that. It's so personal and private word. The feeling must be incredible to say it. So I tell her you don't want call me that and she said I don't know. I said oh ok. So when she said that which was one of the last scenes we shot, I really was touched by it. So it was a process from beginning till the end. It was great.

Julian Schnabel

Every year there's a film (or two) that elevates the viewer experience to the next level. That higher ground is an inspiring one and in film terms - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le papillon) is an example of the power of art; what art is supposed to do and its relevance to our lives.

Based on a novel Jean-Dominique Bauby (who blinked the book to an interpreter after a stroke left him paralyzed with only one blinking eye), if this would have happened to just about anybody else, people would scream euthanasia - but Bauby used his imagination to inspire us. Julian Schnabel who gets better with each film (Basquiat, Before Night Falls) along with Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) and a terrific cast and crew delights us with a film full of splendor and imagination about the human spirit that will move you beyond words. It's an award contender, especially for Max Von Sydow's perf if there's any justice out there. This film is the perfect merger between cinema and art - definitely one of the best films of the year... if not the best.

At a press round table which included six other members of the press in the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, I met with the director Julian Schnabel, writer Ronald Harwood, actors Max Von Sydow, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze.



Yama Rahimi: At what point was the decision made to make the film in French?
Julian Schnabel: The film came to me through Johnny Depp who was attached to it. Even then I wanted to make the film with Johnny and French actors and Johnny acting in French. So the intention was always to shoot it in France and actual locations. Not everybody knew that but you don't tell everybody everything.

YR: Did the actors received the English or translated script?
JS: The English one. I wanted each actor to translate their parts and how they would say the dialog in their own words.

Mathieu Amalric

YR: How was working with Julian and how interactive was the shooting?
Mathieu Amalric: We did talk and rehearse before the film but when the shooting started, we did it very fast because Julian makes few takes. He didn't want to make a sentimental film so he brought it down. There was a lot of drama already so he wanted to bring life to it. For example for a scene at the beach, we had four days scheduled because it was an important scene but he did it in one day. We finished the film 10 days earlier. He also didn't want the voice over scene to be done months later in the post production. I was in a different room with headset and microphone. He did my voice overs hearing the actors performing in front of the camera. I felt sorry for the actors because there wasn't anything I could do to help them.

Emmanuelle Seigner

YR: I love your work but I don't see enough of your films. What is the situation? Don't you find enough material that you like or not many offers?
Emmanuelle Seigner: Not all of the films I make get released here but I was also in "La Vie en Rose" this year.

YR: How was working with Julian Schnabel?
ES: I met him when after I did "Bitter Moon" and he was nice to me since the film wasn't received well. He told me he wanted to work with me. So when this project came along, he contacted me. He kept his word which I didn't expect. He's not like other directors who want to put you in box which can be very limiting.

YR: How difficult was it act in front of the camera without Mathieu?
ES: I had a few scenes with Mathieu but Julian knew what he wanted. I also knew the real Jean-Dominique Bauby because I did several shoots for ELLE at the time. Mathieu captured him well.

Marie-Josée Croze

YR: I love your work but I don't see enough of your films. What is the situation? Don't you find enough material that you like or not many offers?
Marie-Josée Croze: No. I have been busy ever since "The Barbarian Invasion" but not many of our films get released in the US.

YR: How was working with Julian Schnabel?
MJC: Well Julian is not like any other director. He's an artist and makes a film like he paints. It was a liberating experience because he wants you to be free and make mistakes and live the character. He wants characters not "acting". At the same time he keeps you insecure and unstable which keeps you from thinking too much about dialog and acting.

YR: How difficult was it act in front of the camera without Mathieu?
MJC: It was difficult but we got used to it. The camera operator became our contact person.

Ronald Harwood

YR: What was the biggest challenge for the adaptation?
Ronald Harwood: I read the book long before I was offered to adapt it. When Kathleen Kennedy offered it, I accepted it. Then it took me a while to find a way in because I didn't want the entire film with a man in bed. The biggest motivation for a writer comes when he has to give back the money. Then I found the way in which was that the camera becomes the man.

YR: How did Julian change the script?
RH: He broke it apart and added all the imagery. He had to do it and he was right. For example he shows the reversal when we see Jean-Dominique Bauby in bed much earlier than in the script.

Max Von Sydow

YR: I don't know where to start you have given us so many great performances over the years. You wrote Ronald Harwood a letter for the script?
Max Von Sydow: Yes and I never done it before. I was taken by the script which doesn't happen very often. This was a precious script. When I first read script, I was taken by it immediately. It was a cameo but a cameo with a development, only two scenes. When I look for a part, I look for a good part but what is a good part? A good part is one with a development.

YR: In your career which spans more than 40 years, how do you think the films has changed?
MVS: In my personal opinion think that the more personal and intimate films disappear in favor of more special effects oriented ones. Films like this are rare.

YR: How was working with Julian?
MVS: I was set for a date to shoot but he called two weeks before to do a scene via phone for the actress. It was my first time acting via phone.

YR: That scene is the most powerful and profound scene in the film. If there's any justice, you should get an award for it not that you need any awards.
MVS: I never work for awards but if somebody wants to give me an award for something that's fine.

YR: I want you to be given an award for it.
MVS: Then I thank you.

[A special thanks and mention goes to Alvaro Montoya for the slew of pictures above!]

Vanessa Redgrave

ATONEMENT is a dazzling screen adaptation by director Joe Wright based on the bestseller by Ian McEwan and scripted by Christopher Hampton, with career bests from leads James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, the best romantic film since the English Patient acts as a canvas that shows the unbearable consequences of how one lie can destroy the outcome of more than one.

I met at a press roundtable with James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, screenwriter Christopher Hampton and Vanessa Redgrave in Beverly Hills, CA.



Yama Rahimi: How familiar were you with the material?

Vanessa Redgrave: I knew the book but you can't say you the know it if you read it once. You have to read it a few times. In fact I was reading it this morning. I'm amazed how well the film expressed the most intricate psychological processes that's going on in the book of all the characters.

YR: What attracted you to this project?

VR: Well the book first and formost, then the script and Joe (Wright) whom I heard so much about. I was thrilled to meet him before he cast me because he had to workout who was going to be at the beginning Briony then figuring out the other actors which included Romola (Garai) and me. I'm amazed how it turned out that all three actors portrayed one person that you feel as one person which quiet difficult to achieve which he did, I think.

YR: Your scene is the most pivotal scene in the film that made it stand out to me which is about what art is all about. In a way that art takes real life and make it more presentable or even bearable.

VR: Yes there's a lot layers to it. On a simple level and on a deeper level.

YR: You have been given us a lot or great performances over the years. Ho you choose your projects?

VR: Well they choose me. I have been quite lucky with the roles that I have been able to do.

YR: Which projects remain still fresh after all these years?

VR: Hmm. Well probably the first actual film I did which was a black and white film called Morgan with Karel Reisz which still remains extremely fresh.

YR: How's it playing with your daughters or other members of the family?

VR: Well it has the be the project rather just for the sake of working with a member of the family. Then it's a pleasure as it was with The White Countess with Natasha (Richardson) and my sister Lynn that we shot in China where we called each comrades, partly beacause we were in China and partly because we were really comrades.

YR: What have you done since Atonement?

VR: I have done a play called "The Year of Magical Thinking" and produced a documentary "Wake Up World" that my son directed as a tribute to UNICEF.

YR: Do you still get nervous when are on stage?

VR: Well it comes and goes in waves. In this play it was more like pulling yourself together seven days a week. It's a different art form than film. Not better or worse, just different. I must admit that working on film has made understand actin the theatre better.

Keira Knightley

ATONEMENT is a dazzling screen adaptation by director Joe Wright based on the bestseller by Ian McEwan and scripted by Christopher Hampton, with career bests from leads James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, the best romantic film since the English Patient acts as a canvas that shows the unbearable consequences of how one lie can destroy the outcome of more than one.

I met at a press roundtable with James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, screenwriter Christopher Hampton and Vanessa Redgrave in Beverly Hills, CA.

Yama: As I had mentioned to James, your roles were iconic like films such as The English Patient, Dr Zhivago and so on. Were you aware of it when you read the script?

Keira Knightley: That's very nice that it's perceived as such. I didn't think it was iconic but it was a well written script with well written characters. There are few good female characters in films but when you find one as this where it was in the script, I was incredibly lucky to get the part. I think what was so fascinating about the roles were that weren't just black and white but that they have different layers to them. My character's behaving badly but doesn't mean she's a bad person which is true for most people. So it's a very fascinating character.

YR: Tell us about your upcoming projects?

KK: I have a film coming out next year called The Edge of Love that's set in the WWII as well about a group around Dylan Thomas and the events up to an act of crime with Cillian Murphy, Mathew Rhys and Sienna Miller. It was written by mom which is very exciting. It was a very low budget film with an intense seven weeks shooting. It was a very exciting project to work on. Last week I finished a film called The Duchess. It's about the Dutchess of Devonshire who was the political hostess for the Wick party in the 1780's with Ralph Fiennes and Charlotte Rampling. It's about a marriage that goes wrong basically and the society at the time.

YR: How was it working with John Mayburry again? His films never reach mainstream audiences.

KK: I don't think it ever will. He's an artist. His film "Love is the Devil" is one of my favorite films. I worked with him on The Jacket and then again on The Edge of Love. I love working with him. I love his mind, it's a weird place but a wonderful place. Working with him is not like working the "Pirates" films but it's equally interesting.

YR: How is it working on a script written by your mom? How careful do you have to be with the wording?

KK: Well what she does is dialog. It's very stylized dialog and it's rythmic. So very often you can't change it. She's a playright, so she's specific. Unless you don't find the right word, you can't change it because it will mess up the beats. So no there was no dialog changes.

YR: Are you drawn to period pieces?

KK: No. It's just the stories that interested me were set in the past. I can't refuse a great project because it's a period piece. I'm very fortunate to be in a position to be able to choose the projects I'm working on. So I'm very selfish about the projects I chose. It has to be something that interests me, otherwise if it doesn't interes me, I won't be interesting in it and it won't be interesting to watch.

YR: Does the writer's strike affecting any of your projects?

KK: No. I don't have any projects at the moment. It affects only projects that don't have locked scripts. Joe Wright (Atonement) goes into production but he has a locked script which he usually does.

James McAvoy

ATONEMENT is a dazzling screen adaptation by director Joe Wright based on the bestseller by Ian McEwan and scripted by Christopher Hampton, with career bests from leads James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, the best romantic film since the English Patient acts as a canvas that shows the unbearable consequences of how one lie can destroy the outcome of more than one.

I met at a press roundtable with James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, screenwriter Christopher Hampton and Vanessa Redgrave in Beverly Hills, CA.

Yama Rahimi: Your role is such iconic role and performance that will mark your career. Were you aware of that when you read the script?
James McAvoy: No I didn't but it was a role that I wanted from the first reading. I knew it was a special film. It was a well written script from a great book.

YR: Were you the first choice for the Role?
JA: No. There were three other actors who auditioned for the role.

YR: What was the most challenging aspect of the role?
JA:That the character of Robbie was too good, almost like an angel. I had to find a way to make him human and more flawed. Once I got into the character, I fell in love with him.

Christopher Hampton

Known mostly for adapting Dangerous Liaisons for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Christopher Hampton has also directed and adapted three films to date including Carrington, based on Michael Holroyd’s book, for which Mr. Hampton was awarded Special Jury Prize at the 1995 Cannes International Film Festival, The Secret Agent, based on the Joseph Conrad novel and more recently Imagining Argentina, based on Lawrence Thornton’s novel.

I might with Hampton during media day for Atonement in Beverly Hills, CA.

Yama Rahimi: "Dangerous Liaisons" is one my favorite films of all time...
Christopher Hampton: Good.

YR: Now you are back with another brilliant adaptation with "Atonement" but you have been directing as well. Since you are such a brilliant writer, what was the reason to direct? How's one medium different than the other?
CH: Well I started directing my first film "Carrington" because the designated director disappeared in the last minute, so the French producer called me and told me that in France it's normal for writers to direct their own films. I said that I would never do that. He said why won't you do it since the money and actors are in place since you have been waiting 17 years to make this film. I did it and really enjoyed it. Then I did two other films but if your films don't make money it's hard to get financial backing. Specially the subjects I like are commercially questionable. So it has been quite hard to resume directing which I like to do in due cause.

YR: So do you find directing more enjoyable than writing?
CH: It's more fun than writing. I mean I really didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Specially the group of people I have been working with. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. Primarily I consider myself a writer since directing takes a year out of your life and you don't get to write much. So you don't want to do it all the time.

YR: How difficult was to adapt the book?
CH: Well it was actually very difficult but we made it more difficult for ourself by making it more linear. We had a framing device and voice over that we got rid off. So it become more difficult to tell the story without voice over and what Joe (Wright) wanted.

YR: How did this project come to you?
CH: I read the book on vacation in 2001 and thought it would make a great film. So when I got back to England I contacted my agent that I would like to adapt it and she said there's a quiet long line for it. Ian McEwan, the writer of Atonement, retained rights to consultation and who should do the script. So I met him and told him how I felt the book and what we should do in the course of adaptating it. So I got the job through him.

YR: At one point you were attached to adapt Edith Wharton's "The Custom of Country". What happened to it?
CH: I did it. It's actually one of two or three best scripts I have ever written. My publisher's actually published it which is quiet nice of them. I did it for Sony and I wrote it Michelle Pfeiffer but she called me and told me that Scorsese asked her to do "The Age of Innocence". I said to her that should wouldn't wanna do two Edith Wharton books but she said that they are different. But what happened was that "The Age of Innocence" which I thought was a great piece of work was not very successful and lost everybody concerned money. So it was put aside till "Sense and Sensibility" came out. Then it looked like period films were back in fashion. So we were on again with meetings and so on. Then another picture came out. It may have been "Portrait of a Lady" that wasn't successful, so were off again.