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| Cannes 2013: Only Lovers Left Alive a seven year trek says Jim Jarmusch | Cannes 2013: Only Lovers Left Alive a seven year trek says Jim Jarmusch |
| (2 months later) | |
| Jim Jarmusch said today that the Cannes film festival screening of his new film, the vampire romance Only Lovers Left Alive starring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, was the culmination of a seven-year odyssey. | Jim Jarmusch said today that the Cannes film festival screening of his new film, the vampire romance Only Lovers Left Alive starring Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, was the culmination of a seven-year odyssey. |
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| "The reason it took so long," said Jarmusch, "is that no one wanted to give us the money. It took years to put it together. Its getting more and more difficult for films that are a little unusual, or not predictable, or don't satisfy people's expectations of something. Boy, I wish I had an answer why it took so long. But we're here now." | "The reason it took so long," said Jarmusch, "is that no one wanted to give us the money. It took years to put it together. Its getting more and more difficult for films that are a little unusual, or not predictable, or don't satisfy people's expectations of something. Boy, I wish I had an answer why it took so long. But we're here now." |
| Producer Reinhard Brundig said that it fell to European financiers to plug the gaps in the film's $7m budget when American backers dropped out. "There were US companies who were initially very keen, but the past few years have been so tough economically everywhere and the situation changed. But in Europe we still have this wonderful system of subsidies and TV stations, and we found a way to do a European co-production." The UK's Jeremy Thomas joined the project in 2010 and, as lead producer, pulled the finance together. | Producer Reinhard Brundig said that it fell to European financiers to plug the gaps in the film's $7m budget when American backers dropped out. "There were US companies who were initially very keen, but the past few years have been so tough economically everywhere and the situation changed. But in Europe we still have this wonderful system of subsidies and TV stations, and we found a way to do a European co-production." The UK's Jeremy Thomas joined the project in 2010 and, as lead producer, pulled the finance together. |
| Jarmusch said he was particularly grateful to Swinton and Hurt, who were cast early on and stuck with it throughout the process. "Tilda and John stayed with us the whole time. Tilda would never give up: whenever things would fall apart she would say, 'Oh, that means it's just not the right time to make it, that's a good thing.' John told me, just tell me when and where you're doing it, and i'll be there, and he was." | Jarmusch said he was particularly grateful to Swinton and Hurt, who were cast early on and stuck with it throughout the process. "Tilda and John stayed with us the whole time. Tilda would never give up: whenever things would fall apart she would say, 'Oh, that means it's just not the right time to make it, that's a good thing.' John told me, just tell me when and where you're doing it, and i'll be there, and he was." |
| In Only Lovers Left Alive, with Hiddleston and Swinton as centuries-old vampires named Adam and Eve, holed up in Detroit, Michigan and Tangier respectively. As "21st century vampires" they refuse to feed on living people, instead buying their blood illicitly from hospitals and middlemen, like any other illegal drug. | In Only Lovers Left Alive, with Hiddleston and Swinton as centuries-old vampires named Adam and Eve, holed up in Detroit, Michigan and Tangier respectively. As "21st century vampires" they refuse to feed on living people, instead buying their blood illicitly from hospitals and middlemen, like any other illegal drug. |
| Joking that he decided to make a vampire film after "we heard you could make a lot of money with them", Jarmusch confessed he had not seen any of what he termed the "current commercial vampire films" such as the Twilight series, but said he had a love for the genre. "There have been a lot of beautiful vampire films," he said | Joking that he decided to make a vampire film after "we heard you could make a lot of money with them", Jarmusch confessed he had not seen any of what he termed the "current commercial vampire films" such as the Twilight series, but said he had a love for the genre. "There have been a lot of beautiful vampire films," he said |
| Only Lovers Left Alive is also something of a tribute to Detroit, the now-ravaged Michigan car-making city that among other claims to fame was the home of Motown. Describing Detroit as the "Paris of the midwest" Jarmusch praised its "great spirit" and said: "It has an incredible musical culture, so much amazing American music has come and continues to come from Detroit. If you see what has happened to it it's very shocking and moving. It's kind of a decimated city." | Only Lovers Left Alive is also something of a tribute to Detroit, the now-ravaged Michigan car-making city that among other claims to fame was the home of Motown. Describing Detroit as the "Paris of the midwest" Jarmusch praised its "great spirit" and said: "It has an incredible musical culture, so much amazing American music has come and continues to come from Detroit. If you see what has happened to it it's very shocking and moving. It's kind of a decimated city." |
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