Director Julie Taymor speaks at 360/365 Film Festival
Director Julie Taymor has never followed the rules. In a discussion held at Rochester鈥檚 annual 360/365 film festival moderated by local film critic Jack Garner, Taymor said she 鈥渁lways jumped off the cliff instead of just standing on the cliff.鈥� Her latest film, William Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥楾he Tempest鈥�, is a perfect example of this. Taymor casts Helen Mirren as 鈥楶rospera,鈥� a female rework of the original male character.
Her previous film, 鈥�Across The Universe,鈥� was a musical with the songs of The Beatles, release in 2007. It鈥檚 visually stunning, psychedelic, and earned her an Oscar nomination. Taymor also directed the Broadway version of 鈥楽piderman: Turn Off The Dark鈥� for a time and used not just her knowledge of swinging ropes with the help of audience member and famed choreographer聽Garth Fagan [who fyi, is dance professor emeritus from TFPN Chief Notetaker's alma matter SUNY Brockport].聽She 聽also used聽knowledge gleaned from research of 40 years of comic books.
Directing 鈥�The Lion King鈥� for Broadway gave her an opportunity to work with聽 Garth Fagan. Taymor鈥檚 goal was to 鈥渞einterpret the [movie] in a fresh and personal way鈥� for the theatre. According to Fagan, 鈥渨orking with Julie was the major privilege of my life. She is described as demanding, but she is demanding for excellence.鈥� That demand for excellence earned her two Tony Awards.
Taymor鈥檚 work is filled with her life experiences.聽 鈥淢y parents let me go and travel and learn things.鈥� Traveling included Indonesia, Eastern Europe and Japan after graduating from high school at age 16. That life experience is reflected in her work.
Taymor believes that 鈥渇ilm work is very theatrical and theatre work is very honest鈥� and that 鈥渨hen you have limitations you actually do greater work. Beauty and poetry in art is right before you lose control.鈥�
She is constantly moving from opera to theatre to film because she 鈥榣oves different things鈥� and each genre gives her an opportunity to experience new levels of adventure and excitement.
Julie Taymor is incredibly honest and聽humble as a director, and that was demonstrated in the atmosphere of the panel. It was at聽times humororus, serious, intelligent and always relaxed. As a team, Garner and Taymor had the ability to surprise, entertain and make the audience laugh. I can鈥檛 wait to see her next project.
Keep leaping off that cliff, Julie!
Rebecca Banach blogs at .
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