Nicole Kidman. “I’m a mother of two teenage girls who are being held back by a ‘disconnected dinosaur'”

Nicole Kidman is a paradox. A remarkable actress, a star with an “old Hollywood” attitude, she is also an elusive figure, a cinematic extension of the contemporary art scene; Her appearances at Balenciaga shows are mesmerizing. When she’s on set, she likes independent and unique voices (Lee Daniels, Sofia Coppola, Park Chan-wook, Yorgos Lanthimos…) but happily revels in blockbusters or TV series (Aquaman, A perfect couple) Mysterious. Untouchable. Fascinating. Thirty-five years after his debut, he remains one of the main and influential figures of American cinema. For the ability to surprise and conquer risky, even compromised areas.

In girl It is female pleasure and gender dynamics that she explores and subverts.In front of the camera, Dutch actress Halina Rein plays a fifty-year-old CEO of a large company who is in love with her husband, the mother of two daughters. The only downside is her sexual frustration, which she manages to get rid of with a young intern who accepts her fantasies.Black book) “I needed the strength and courage of an actress to take on the ambivalence of my heroine, her attitude, as well as her fragility.”

No role reflected Kidman’s ambivalence more. Her character’s combination of confidence and suspicion, addiction to control and provocative escapades are also her own. A little girl “Nicole is the best actress on the planet,” says Halina Rein. “She is driven by passion and sincerity.” When he gets to the set, he leaves his ego at the door. He has no vanity, no fear.”

In Eyes Wide Shut, Rabbit Hole, Nativity, Paper Boy Or Hours: The 57-year-old actress has already embraced the ambiguity, radicality, and darkness of alternative and complex female experiences A little girl She will also be a milestone in her career and the new female ghost on screen, until perhaps earning her a second Oscar…

Extreme

“Such a character girl coming to this point in your life and career, it’s phenomenal. I’ve been in many, many movies, but none of them have been as interested in our gray areas as how we have to accept them in order to fully accept ourselves. Or, as they say, they also told the man’s point of view. A little girl is a revolutionary film that I hope will pave the way for other innovative stories to approach women’s sexual morality, their desires, pleasures, understanding of needs, relationships with power, the body or self-sabotage; From a very personal point of view, I’m not looking for healing or catharsis with this film, or any other film. But I’ve never gone to such extremes for a role, I’ve never had to share so much and I probably never will… Many actresses will tell you.

A misdemeanor

“Pushing my boundaries has never been my motivation. I’ve never framed things that way. I just want the roles to reflect what our lives can be, that the way we look at the subject challenges me and makes me react.” But I don’t think in terms of courage or self-transcendence. it would mean intellectualizing my work, when my approach has always been very crafty. In this case, I just had to make this film, I was like a magnet…”

Sabotage

“They call me brave. I should have been wired differently. (Laughs.) I was always attracted to stories that were considered immoral, outlaws, for example, the classic tragedies of Dostoyevsky, French authors such as Guy de Maupassant, but also Ibsen, Chekhov and Shakespeare.

They definitely shaped my brain and my heart in a special way A little girl Today, it doesn’t seem more subversive to me than acting in a Greek tragedy of that time.I was motivated by only one thing: as a woman and an actress, I could not do without Halina’s view, which excludes all judgments and moral stereotypes.

Politics

“With this film, we are not trying to be militant or radical. On the contrary, it was made in its purest form with passion, love and the desire to reconcile women with their dark side.And then, when we say that the film is political, what does that mean? I feel like that’s another word for putting us in boxes girl I just wanted this woman who’s going through an existential crisis and discovering herself to be real. That, under Halina’s guidance, she’s helping women get on their way as best they can.”

Vulnerability

“I have only experienced such intimacy with society Big Little Lies. People told me secret parts of their lives after watching the series. It’s incredible how art can create connections. At the end of the shows girl some run away, being ashamed and not daring to look at us, while others, for example, couples, come to trust us, as if Halina and I are sexologists. It’s even crazier because we’re both pretty geeky. Anything the movie brings up about lust and sexuality is not something I naturally talk about. I still feel vulnerable in this place.”

A mystery

“We worked with an intimacy coordinator for the nudity and sex scenes that, when you look closely, end up hinting more than showing. Halina and this trainer did a great job of keeping us comfortable and safe, though.” but I don’t like to talk about it too much. I don’t want to dilute the essence of the film, which should remain a sensory and emotional experience. To reveal the backstage of its production is to break the spell.

However, the mystery is not only what makes it fascinating, it is also the very essence of eroticism. Our voice needs to be heard for the film to exist, but I think we have to put limits on what we want. otherwise we demystify the cinema and risk diminishing the experience for the viewer.”

Inspiration

“I love Isabelle Hooper. It’s remarkable how she chooses her films and invests in her characters. Her tenacity, her ability to go the extra mile and her refusal to be swayed by self-doubt are incredibly inspiring can be questionable when they step outside the box or shake morals and we should be ready to roll with fists. It is a component of an artistic path and a controversy-loving age. To make a choice in view of possible criticisms and attacks is tantamount to depriving freedom and hindering development.”

Pushing my limits has never been my motivation

Nicole Kidman

Privacy

“Throughout my career, I’ve always let my instincts speak rather than my head. Otherwise, I’d miss out on exciting roles. Of course, there’s fear, but in a different way.” At the last Venice Film Festival, for example, I was afraid that the film would turn into sulphur, that people would try to shame us. But society has evolved and is better at supporting the emancipation of women. And then, whatever their generation or sexual orientation, the viewer can feel , that is concerned about their issues A little girl.

We all have intimate secrets that can confuse and suffocate us; for example, how can we accept that we want to be submissive and dominant?Or let others know that submission does not have to be synonymous with humiliation.Through my character, Halina deals with these themes with delicacy and sophistication, qualities that often I meet with European directors.

Transfer

“I am sensitive to unique sounds because they brought me up. My mother often took me to the theater, museum or opera, which she was a fan of. I still see myself sitting between my parents, watching subversive shows that I didn’t always understand. Then we took the show together to help me understand the sometimes very strong feelings it evoked in me. This shaped my outlook, my thoughts, and art remains a great source of inspiration for me girl I went to see an exhibition about Louise Bourgeois in Australia. the way the script allowed us to understand his work, his freedom, his gray areas greatly influenced my approach to the role.

I needed to make this film, I was led to…

Nicole Kidman

It seems to me that it is essential to get an artistic culture to do this work. Watching videos on TikTok is not enough, although they can educate the younger generation about some things. I am a mother of two teenage girls who support me “disconnected dinosaur” and help me understand the advantages and mechanisms of networks, but the multiplication of learning paths seems essential to me.

Feminism

“I can’t define the term today, but I was raised by a mother who accompanied the movement in the 1970s, the seminal period of women’s rights. She explained to me that it was important to be treated as an equal with men, which I had rights that women of her generation didn’t have, that I deserved the same opportunities as men. She taught me to go for it, not to be ashamed of who I was.

I am the result of this feminism. I feel that I can try anything. I do not stop myself from doing anything. I also try to educate my girls in this spirit. This education remains my greatest one of the strengths. He helped me build my career and today I have the opportunity to make my voice heard.”

A little girlBy Halina Raine, with Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson… Released on January 15th.