Olivier Assayas Mentions Kristen

Franchise actors these days often will tackle the small and the quirky in an attempt to get us to see them differently, or just to shake things up.

Few have done that lately with the diligence of Kristen Stewart. As the “Twilight” series began to wind down several years ago, Stewart began using her leverage to try on all sorts of on-screen guises, including the teenage Marylou in Walter Salles' adaptation of “On the Road,” a tough-minded soldier in the military drama “Camp X-Ray” and, as of its Cannes premiere a few days ago, a personal assistant to a famous actress in “Sils Maria,” a drama about the performing life from the French polymath Olivier Assayas.

'Clouds of Sils Maria' BTS Video

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What motivated Kristen to take on the role?

"I think the fear that motivated me here was working with Juliette. And with Olivier as well. It's just such a different setting for an American actress. It's a very European feeling film. It thinks a lot, it doesn't package its ideas and deliver them to you. I think it takes its on ride and it's really complex and what scared me was hitting it perfectly and striking this balance and this was an opportunity to really make the point hit home. I play an assistant to an actress, I comment on the sort of potential for the media to be and it's very commonly incredibly superficial. It's not 'yeah, I'm being nice right now, but basically saying this is so silly and not in an interview, not to you right now, but in a film that really means something that it's a different thing. So that was definitely satisfying to say some of those lines to her and not scary, just really satisfying."

Why Olivier thought of Kristen for the part:

"I met her, it's really via my producer Charles Gillibert, he produced 'On the Road' and so I met Kristen through him in a completely, I mean I was not thinking about this film, I had not written it so it's. But I liked her very much. I thought that was something to her that was extraordinarily powerful and I thought that movies had not used half of it. So I thought that I saw someone who had done great things but had greater things to do."

Kristen thoughts on working on location in the Alps:

"Actually I must say when we were in St. Moritz, Sils Maria, like that's where we shot it, I did start to get a little bit of cabin fever. I kind of felt like Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining' for a minute there. It was like we were all living in this old stuffy hotel and it was just like and we were so obsessed with making this movie and every second of our lives was devoted to focussing on this movie that it becomes this isolated obsessive environment but it's amazing, that's what it should be. I'm into that. I really like intense bursts of like take these three months and think about nothing but this but it definitely got a little... I mean at a certain point I was like 'OK, we need to all relax a little bit.'"

Chloe on how the internet has changed things for actors:

"I think it's weird because like for me, what's weird for me is every time I go to a meeting I get asked, 'do you, are you on social media? And if you are how many followers do you have?' and I find that really weird because instead of being asked like 'oh what movies do you want to do? what do you want to approach?' they kind of ask what is your internet social standing which I find really annoying. It's become, as a young actor it's become as a whole part of your career that if you don't instagram your movies, that if you don't tweet your movies and stuff like that, they're not going to succeed kind of thing."

Le Monde Interview

Kristen Stewart: "I love films that deal with the process of film-making."

Two years after 'On The Road' by Walter Salles, Kristen Stewart walked up the stairs at Cannes, on Friday 23rd, for her role in 'Sils Maria' by Olivier Assayas. Remarkable from end to end, the star of the Twilight saga plays the assistant of a celebrity, played by Juliette Binoche.

LE MONDE: How did the screening go?

KRISTEN: Really well. It might be because I'm American, and we consider cinema mainly as an entertainment, but I didn't initially think a film that brazenly philosophical could be of interest for a public of that size; yet it seems like it was the case, I think.

LE MONDE: With the role played by Chloë Grace Moretz, your character embodies America, in a film that is yet European.

KRISTEN: It's the first time that I shoot an entire film in Europe, it's true. At one point, I was considered to play Chloë's character instead. In my opinion, it would have been a mistake... I wanted the opportunity to criticize the massive consumption of fake lives created by the media through my character. When you think about it, it's a strange phenomenon, which benefits no one intellectually. Why do we digress like this culturally? Some of my lines reflect exactly what I think of this stupidity. Olivier found the right words

LE MONDE: What made you accept the role?

Olivier Assayas Mentions Kristen

Next to Juliette Binoche, who is the lead character in Sils Maria, we find a certain... Kristen Stewart! How did the Twilight star end up with Olivier Assayas and why did he choose her?

Absent from the traditional photo-call and press conference of Cannes, today, Kristen Stewart finally made an appearance on the Croisette to walk the stairs of 'Sils Maria', next to Olivier Assayas, Juliette Binoche & Chloë Grace Moretz.

We had the chance to interview the director Olivier Assayas to ask him why he had chosen the Twilight star, which we weren't really expecting of him, let's be honest! In the interview, he actually admits he was shocked she accepted his offer! 

OLIVIER: When I saw her briefly, in a friendly way, I had the feeling that there was something special about her, or in any case, something different than what I knew of her in the world of cinema. And it's true that when I wrote that character, which is as old as her and from her generation etc.. I had the feeling that it was worth trying because I was convinced that there was something in her that had never been seen before, had never been caught on screen. That, herself, had not exploited in any film a complete dimension of her personnality. I was sure that if she agreed, it would bring something great to the film. And it did happen. It was way beyond my biggest expectations. There was some sort of competition of dialogue between her and Juliette that gave life to this strange duo.
My next film will be shot in the fall in Chicago. It's a genre film. A mafia and crime story. It takes place at the end of the 1960s. There will be an international cast. 

ALLOCINE: And Robert Pattinson is confirmed?

OLIVIER: Yeah, yeah. 

ALLOCINE: And does it have anything to do with Kristen Stewart or is it a coincidence?

OLIVIER: Oh, no. It's a total coincidence. Total coincidence. (laughing) No.. A coincidence. 

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Kristen at 2014 Cannes + Press Junket and Fan Pics - May 24th

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***Press Junket***
   
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More Pics of Kristen at 2014 Cannes

  

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Kristen at Sils Maria After-Party at Cannes

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Videos of Kristen at 2014 Cannes

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Chanel Financed 'Clouds of Sils Maria' + New BTS Pic

The fashion house has made its debut financing films with “Clouds of Sils Maria,” starring Juliette Binoche, Chloë Grace Moretz and Kristen Stewart, who can be seen in advertisements for Chanel’s Métiers d’Art Paris-Dallas collection.

Directed by Olivier Assayas, the film screens today at the Cannes Film festival, where it is one of 18 movies vying for the coveted Palme d’Or prize.
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Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel, says the house not only supplied the actresses with clothes, jewelry, accessories and makeup, but also provided the budget allowing Assayas to fulfill his dream of shooting the movie on 35-mm film instead of digitally.

“Chanel has always had privileged relationships with a number of artists and these relationships, beyond providing them with the means to carry out their projects, have often resulted in direct patronage of these artists. I think the project with Olivier Assayas is a perfect example of that,” he said.

Assayas first met Chanel’s couturier Karl Lagerfeld through actor Édgar Ramírez, who played the title role in his mini-series “Carlos the Jackal.” Lagerfeld subsequently photographed the film director for his book “The Little Black Jacket,” and Assayas and Stewart attended the brand’s fall 2013 couture show.
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“I had only a few scenes in which to establish the main character of Marie Enders – an international actress – and her iconic status, including the extent of how that sometimes weighs on her. Linking her with a house like Chanel very early on in the story was an obvious shortcut. It speaks of a kind of glamor and exactitude that we identify with a French woman and her global influence,” he explained.

The movie also features a cameo by Chanel brand ambassador Caroline de Maigret, who plays a PR for the fashion house.

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'Clouds of Sils Maria' Premiere At 2014 Cannes - May 23rd

 

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'Clouds of Sils Maria' Press Conference at Cannes

Sils Maria Trailer + More Kristen Interview and Facts

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"The movie shows things can look different if you're looking at them from different angles. It's also about what you need to feel inside of you to create something or to be artistic. And the price you have to pay for years and years of complete devotion and the sudden feeling, there's nothing left of yourself. Of course, that's kinda ridiculous, because she's still alive, but that's what Maria sees in Valentine. Even if she won't admit it. Valentine warms her up and gives her new perspectives on things."

Source Translation

Olivier Assayas Mentions Kristen:

How did Kristen join the project?

Kristen was it was a fairly long story because originally she couldn’t do it because of scheduling conflicts. She loved the screenplay but the timing wasn’t right so we moved on and had Mia Wasikowska, but then she had a contract with Disney for the Alice sequel and the minute the movie got moving she was not allowed to be in any other projects during that time period. By then Kristen’s schedule had cleared and so instantly we sent it back and she was able to do it. That’s the technical side of it but the more exciting and human part of it is that she’s amazing. I hope everybody will share my enthusiasm of what she did with the part, the freedom she found in her acting and a humor that we hadn’t seen much of just came out, I don’t know how or why. It’s really very exciting when you are filming a young actress and see her respond to your material and grow right before your eyes.

So the shoot was collaborative. What was the schedule like?
We had a fairly short shoot and fairly intense because of the schedules of the actress and we had to squeeze thing and shuffle things around in weird ways. When you have those really tight schedules it gives an intensity that can be nerve-wracking because you don’t really have a safety net. You fuck up a scene and you’re dead basically. You don’t have a chance for an additional day because the day doesn’t exist. I think the film benefited from it because it’s so much an actor’s film, I think that the actors somehow reacted in strong and positive ways to the tension. Your job as a director is to somehow channel that the best you can and somehow I think that they took on that energy around them.

What was it like working with two very strong actresses on set?
It’s really a danger zone and in the end I was just amazed. Kristen was very much a fan of Juliette. She loves her work and she felt that she had something to learn from her, and I think Juliette loved that position of being able to pass on something to another actress. Juliette has invented a style and her own way of transforming into a character that is spontaneously part of her language. Kristen watched her a lot and learned a lot from her and used it. It was absolutely not competitive, it was something symbiotic.

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CANNES, France — Olivier Assayas says moviegoers will see Kristen Stewart like they've never seen her before in his Cannes entry "Clouds of Sils Maria."

"It's really something that you have not seen her in," says Assayas. "She's warm, funny, witty."

The film, which debuts Friday at Cannes, stars Juliette Binoche as a popular actress who's shattered by the competition of a young rival (Chloe Grace Moretz). She and her assistant (played by Stewart) withdraw to Sils Maria, Switzerland. For both Assayas, the French director of the Carlos the Jackal miniseries "Carlos" and the family drama "Summer Hours," and Stewart, it's an atypical collaboration connecting European art house and Hollywood.

"Actors are actors," says Assayas. "They are more or less the same in any culture."

Stewart was first suggested by "Sils Maria" producer Charles Gillibert, who produced the Jack Kerouac adaptation "On the Road" — which brought Stewart to Cannes two years ago. The "Twilight" star was unavailable, so Assayas and producers then cast Mia Wasikowska. But Wasikowska had to drop out, at which point Stewart's schedule opened up.

"Kristen, whatever image one has of her, ultimately she's just a great actress by any standard," says Assayas. "I was just completely amazed by the range of Kristen. I'm so honored to be working with her at this moment when she's blossoming."

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Juliette Binoche: Translation "With Kristen, we're halfway through filming, so we still have three weeks ahead of us. We really go into the heart of the film with Kristen. And I think we're both writhing in anticipation, her as much as me, at the idea of playing with ourselves, our feelings. And Kristen is really having a blast playing that role. As she has a real experience of his celebrity world and the real meaning of it. Of its weight. So, all of a sudden, becoming an assistant is freeing for her. And she's someone who is extremely curious, open, who wants to learn. We have fun together. There's a natural complicity between us. Chloe & Kristen are two full-fledged actresses; that they confirm themselves in the film."

  

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'Clouds of Sils Maria' On Set Interview + First Clip

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"Valentine is Maria Enders' personnal assistant. The type of girl that I have definitely seen on many sets and in many environments. Sort of... Not the average assistant, but someone who is probably going somewhere, definitely has ambition and interest. She really, really admire Maria Enders, who is Juliette's character. She would probably not work for another actress. She could assist a producer or work behind the scenes. In Maria she found someone who's worth sucking a bit of life out of her. And I've seen that kind of relationship a couple times. And here it's so perfectly put together. They're having dynamics that I've definitely seen before."

Stills and Poster from the 'Clouds of Sils Maria' Press Kit

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1. KRISTEN STEWART NATURAL.

"We rarely had the opportunity to see Kristen with that simplicity and mischievousness in movies, until now. She plays in the movie, the role of the Juliette Binoche's character assistant, a big star. The atmosphere on set and her relationship with Juliette have a lot to do with the new face and this serenity of Kristen. Of course, I saw the Twillight saga, I don’t like to choose actors based on what they did, rather on what they didn’t do yet."

4. REALITY MEETS FICTION.

"This scene takes place on the verge of a lake in Sils Maria, the two women will go swimming. So nothing to difficult to shoot. Except that the reality meets fiction. Actually we realized that some paparazzis were hiding near the edges of the lake to take pictures of Kristen Stewart. Therefore we had to use clever shenanigans; we controlled the windows of the opposite hotel. I feared that, of course, but not like that."

6. KRISTEN STEWART THE SURPRISE.

"A priori, it may seem like she’s formatted by Hollywood but it’s quite the opposite. She’s complex, intelligent and gives life, micronuances and details to the characters she plays. She really stupefied me. The movie producer, Charles Gillibert met Kristen during the shooting of On the Road and that's how the connection was made. These young people win a lot at being recognize. By the way, I will most likely do my next movie with Robert Pattinson."

7. NATURAL AND PARTNERS.

"With this picture we're in the heart of the movie. This shot captured the complicity and the natural of the relationship between the two actresses/characters. I was really stupefied by one and the other because it wasn’t an easy project. We shot in English. Juliette held on, as usual, she worked the role down to the last detail and Kristen is still a young actress, who didn’t always have freedom in her performances. It was a team work, with liberties, but in the end, it’s these specific moments that provided me a great measure of satisfaction."

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'Clouds of Sils Maria' Will Be in Competition At Cannes + New Stills

Festival de Cannes @FdC_officiel #Cannes2014 SILS MARIA by OLIVIER ASSAYAS #Competition

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'Clouds of Sils Maria' Official Synopsis and Poster

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Original title: Clouds of Sils Maria

Directed by: Olivier Assayas

With: Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lars Eidinger, Johnny Flynn, Brady Corbet

Country of origin: France / Germany / Switzerland

Production year: 2014

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2h04

Language(s): English

Public: All public

Synopsis

At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena.

She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria; a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chloë Grace Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.

Photography by Yorick Le Saux (Only Lovers Left Alive, Potiche, Carlos, …).

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BTS Video from Sils Maria + Pics from Set

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LSRvar35-2013 by Lasagarobsten

 

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Kristen on Sils Maria Set - September 24th

New Pics of Kristen on Set of Sils Maria (Sept. 2013)

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