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Interview: Oscar-nominated actress Berenice Bejo sees film crew as family

Xinhua, September 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

"I enjoy having a good crew with very nice people and I love to be like a family on set," Argentinian-born actress Berenice Bejo told Xinhua.

"This makes me feel very comfortable and confident because they are my first 'public'. I usually have a very strong relationship with the team," Oscar-nominated Berenice Bejo said to Xinhua in an interview presenting the film The Childhood of a Leader: Brady Corbet (Orizzonti) at the ongoing 72th Venice Film Festival here.

In the film, Bejo plays the role of a cruel mother of a capricious child who is dominated by an unstable anger.

Bejo is the daughter of Argentinian filmmaker Miguel Bejo. She won both Oscar and a Golden Globe nominations for her role in The Artist, a movie written and directed by her husband, Michel Hazanavicius. Bejo also won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 for her role in Le Passe.

Bejo said that to prepare for the film she watched White Ribbon by Haneke, Gertrud by Carl Theodor Dreyer, and Autumn Sonata by Ingmar Bergman for inspiration.

"When I was young, but also now, Ingrid Bergman was my favorite actress. Now I have the possibility of seeing her in a movie where she is old, beautiful, so intense, and touching. It was good for me to play such a complicated, complex character because normally I play sweet, nice, and friendly characters."

Bejo explained that it had been a challenge to work on this movie. It was difficult for her to act in English and there were many long shots. As well, she wanted to make sure that people could relate to her character's complexity. "As an actress I don't think that the roles which are so different from me are going to be harder, but this was one of the most challenging and difficult part I have ever played," she confessed.

The Argentinian-born actress just finished filming with Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio and explained how it was an amazing experience.

"He does still movies in the old way, but also has fun while doing his job. Everything is so joyful. He is always rewriting, thinking, drawing and showing something to you. I can't wait to do another Italian movie," she said. Endit