Promoting her new film ‘Sentimental Value’ at the London Film Festival, Elle Fanning recalled the range of emotions she went through after the film got a 19-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.
The American actress also revealed details about ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ which she’s shooting now.
She was joined at the Royal Festival Hall in London by her ‘Sentimental Value’ collaborators Joachim Trier, Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. The Norwegian film is the latest from Trier who’s last film ‘The Worst Person in the World’ was nominated for multiple Academy Awards. Report by Burtonj. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
00:00Ah! You're like, ah! But I don't know, I start blushing a lot, and you're like, oh gosh. I think, yeah, I was the only American.
00:16Thank you so much to see you again. Hi. How are you? I'm good, how are you? I'm really well, thank you. How are you enjoying being back in London so far?
00:22Oh, I love it. I miss London, because I filmed The Great here for a TV show I did for like three years, and I haven't been back in a while, so.
00:31Welcome back, always glad to have you. Thank you. I was listening to, I've been listening to a lot of the interviews that you guys have done for Sentimental Life so far.
00:38Yeah. And we're going to compliment them up next to you, so it might be a little bit awkward, isn't it?
00:42Okay. But what I heard about you complimenting Joachim's directing Salas nice and kind, which struck me, because I'm thinking, is that not usually the case you're directing?
00:50Is it particularly nice or something?
00:53Well, I guess it depends. It depends. I've been very lucky, I have to say, that I've worked with very kind people.
01:00I mean, above all, I think that's always the most important, and the way that you're going to get the best work out of everyone
01:06is being kind and being supportive, and that's exactly what he does. He makes an environment for you where you feel safe to be vulnerable
01:16and to go to dark places, and, you know, because your walls can come up very easily if you don't feel secure or comfortable with someone.
01:24And so, he just, he creates that, and God, he's just a brilliant director. I mean, he sees everything. He's right next to the camera.
01:32He's not off in a tent, you know. He's right there watching you while you're filming, and just, you can feel that heartbeat, you know.
01:41I don't know who else is on the set with you, but was it strange being, I guess, the token American of the set, you know?
01:46I was, yes. I think, yeah, I was the only American.
01:51Well, how can you compare, like, being on a film set where it's a foreign language film, I guess, for us, to an English-language-speaking film?
01:58Do you have some things to compare it to now?
02:00Yes, I mean, I feel like there's not, like, huge differences that jump out. I mean, I guess the language barrier is one,
02:07just meaning that if they're speaking in Norwegian, I can't understand Norwegian, but there was something, like, quite a relief, actually, to that.
02:17Because normally, I'm someone on sets who's always, like, eavesdropping and listening to everything that's going on around me.
02:26And in this case, I couldn't really do that, and so it gave me, like, a nice tunnel vision and, like, a nice focus to just focus on what I needed to do.
02:35And, yeah, it was calming. I liked it.
02:38That's such a great way of putting it.
02:39Yeah.
02:40I don't know about within the film, you must have to have a couple of times to speak Norwegian and flex your foreign accents off.
02:47Is any of it stuck?
02:49No. I'm trying, hey, I'm hanging out with them a lot. They're trying to teach me little words and things.
02:55In this, I didn't have to speak the language, but I had to do a Norwegian accent, which, but what's funny also about my character,
03:04she's not supposed to be particularly great at it. She's passable, which I think I'm passable.
03:11Yeah.
03:12There was a 19-minute standing ovation for this film, which I've seen is the third highest in history behind Pan's Landing and Bar 9-11,
03:19so that's pretty, you know, prestigious. What goes through a person's head when they're being clapped at for 19 minutes?
03:24Ah! You're like, ah! It's like that. And there's a camera in your face, too, while it's happening.
03:31You don't even know how long it feels, you know, but I don't know. I start blushing a lot. You're like, oh, gosh, you know, you get embarrassed.
03:38But for me, I was just very, very proud and excited for Yoakum, because I think he deserves that.
03:45I agree. And I know that it's nice to have you, because I know you're a very busy person working on the late school games film just coming out.
03:51Yes.
03:52Can you give us any updates on how that's going at the moment?
03:54Yes. I guess I'm in production. Yeah, I've shot some things.
03:59I love seeing the cast list and, like, people are categorized into their different factions. Who are you spending day to day with in that cast?
04:05Who are you bonding with?
04:06Oh, gosh. Honestly, I have worked with everyone. I've got to know everyone, which I'm very, yeah, I'm very lucky.
04:15And Joseph is great. We have a lot of scenes together. He's really good.
04:20I'm excited for you. Thank you so much for your time and enjoy tonight as well.
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