The Constant Gardener (2005)
Der ewige Gärtner
The Interview with Fernando Meirelles (Director)
Fernando Meirelles
Brazilian Director Fernando Meirelles entered the cinematic scene in 2002 with his internationally acclaimed film Cidade De Deus - City of God. British Magazine Total Film called it "the Brazilian Goodfellas". His current film is an adaptation to the screen of a novel by John le Carré. OutNow.CH met with Meirelles at the Venice film festival and talked with him about his experiences in Kenya, where The Constant Gardener was shot, his upcoming project Intolerance and the chances of the Brazilian soccer team to win the World Cup 2006.
OutNow.CH (ON): How would you characterize The Constant Gardener?
Fernando Meirelles (FM): It is a mix between love story and political thriller. I never really understood exactly, what the film was. When I first edited I had to decide about it. When I watched the whole thing I thought the love story was very strong, so I decided to make it the essence of the plot. I had some scenes, which I didn't use. A chase for example, which introduced also a new character. All these scenes were very thriller-like. And the political drama is only a side story. But this was a decision taken during the cutting process.
ON: Did you change the script before making the film?
On Location in Kenya
FM: Yes I did! It was very complicated to show all these relationships between the governments, companies and laboratories. So I took a part of the plot out, wiped out a lot of British characters along with it and made it much simpler. I created some scenes in the streets of Nairobi instead. All the scenes in Kibera were not in the script. I tried to bring Kenya into the story and I took out a lot of scenes about the British society. Especially those references to the British class system. All those special relations in the book, between working class and old upper class, I just took all this out.
ON: Why did you do that?
FM: First, when I started to work on the script, I just did not get much. John Le Carré was kind enough to teach me and to explain. But I still did not understand a lot and I was not very interested, neither. What made me decide to do this film was the possibility of shooting in Africa, especially in Kenya, so I just took all this out, in order that I could create more scenes in the streets.
ON: Did you experience any pressure from the pharma industry while making The Constant Gardener?
FM: No. We just spoke to a person in Kenya once that could have been a problem. He wanted to ask us why we were doing this film, and told us that we were making a big mistake. Then we invited him to the party and had no further problems. Actually when we released the film, I was really hoping that someone would stand up and say: "This is crap!" We all wanted this, but nobody did. It is such a pity!
ON: The visual aspects of your films are astonishing. But what is more important for you: The story or the optics?
FM: Definitely the story! And the acting. The images are only a medium to tell the story.
ON: How did you prepare this film with your photographer?
FM: We visited all the locations, where we were going to shoot to find the exact places. And then he took photos. He was using the same stock, which he was going to use during the shooting. And those pictures he took were more or less identical with the frames we have in the finished film. He went to Brazil, where he has a colourist, the guy who corrects colours. And he worked frame by frame with this guy trying to find the colours for each scene. And then he did like a slide show with the look of the film. When we were doing our post-production in London, we could use it as a reference all the time.
ON: This shore, where Tessa gets killed, this wonderful landscape, with this red and blue glimmers. Did you do this in post production?
FM: No. It really is that beautiful. It is a place called "Magadi", an amazing place, with all this colours, white, blue, and there is also some pink in it. We got there by chance. We went to Northern Kenya in the desert where we wanted to shoot that scene. And then when we were flying back to Nairobi the pilot said: "It's three o'clock, we have some time to see a beautiful landscape. Let us do some tourism here." And he said: "I can easily land in this place, it is very flat." So we just went down to see it and thought: "This is fantastic!" and we changed the place.
ON: Did you use more than one camera at once?
FM: Sometimes we shot with three or four cameras. Almost all the scenes we were shooting with two cameras. It is great to have enough money so you do not have to think about spending negative. I always had to save negatives and then you are suddenly in a production where you can really spend. At the end of the day you feel guilty because of the big amount you have spent and you send an e-mail to say you're sorry and they write back that it is normal. So you keep spending and spending.
ON: Do you have a special political message in your movies?
FM: No. Actually it was a coincidence. The three films that I have done talk about exclusion. But I do not see myself as an activist or as a political filmmaker. These are just the things that interest me. I might do a romantic comedy next. I really do not know.
ON: Can you tell us something about your experiences in Africa?
FM: I knew that there was a gap between South America and Africa. But I was impressed that it was such a gap. It is hard to have hopes, when you are there. Starting with the health problems. Once I was having lunch, and when I looked around I knew one sixth of those people carried HIV, it kind of scared me.
ON: Is there a big difference between filmmaking in Africa and Brazil?
FM: Oh yes there is. First of all we have got a well developed film industry. We can do whatever we want with local crews and all kind of equipment because our commercial industry is very big. In Kenya we had just a tiny bit of equipment, so we had to bring in most of it. And we had to get the main crew in South Africa. All the assistants were Kenyans, but the main crew consisted of only foreigners. Except a Kenyan producer that was very good actually.
ON: There is a lot of talking about Iraq, Afghanistan, Asia. Do you think the African continent is getting lost in oblivion?
FM: I think so, but this year something is happening. The media has finally discovered Africa. First there was Hotel Rwanda and now there is The Constant Gardener. And there are about six films about Africa coming to the theatres soon. They just finished a film called The last King of Scotland, Leonardo Di Caprio signed a Film in Liberia, called The Blood Diamond. Ridley Scott is going to shoot Emma's War with Nicole Kidman, a story set in Sudan.
Cidade de Deus
ON: Do you think that will really help Africa?
FM: I think for sure. It does not change much but it brings awareness and might help.
ON: The backbone of the financing in this film is American money. Is that correct?
FM: Sixty percent, yes. There is some German money, too.
ON: Was City of God your ticket to America then?
FM: Well it certainly was a ticket. But I do not want to go there! I have no plans about moving to Hollywood. Not at all. I had lots of invitations and projects, but I am not interested.
ON: Why?
FM: Why should I? I have my house, my culture, my friends in Brazil! And I am not interested in their stories! Their films are so boring mostly!
ON: But what kind of films do you like? When you grew up, what kind of films did you see?
Mongolian People
FM: American films of course, European, Asian. Now I watch a lot of Asian films. I love to see films from different cinematographies. For example I see a film from Mongolia, and the plot is not what really interests me. I just like to see how they serve tea, and how they relate to each other, how they use their camels and so on. I just like to see and learn how people live in different places. That is the reason why I like to see films from very different places.
ON: Do you know, what you are going to do next?
FM: Yes, I am going back to the project that I was working on before getting involved with The Constant Gardener. It is a story called Intolerance about globalisation set in six countries. For Brazil it is a very big project, but compared to international standards it is not that big. There are going to be seven different languages and shots around the world in it. And in each country there is different plot, very particular and private stories, which are related to each other. It is about all these very complicated connections globalisation brings along with.
ON: Which countries are going to be involved?
FM: U.S., Brazil - the main character, the most intelligent is a Brazilian guy (laughs) - Kenya, the Philippines, the Arab Emirates, China and Helsinki or Rome, because of the athletics' championship. The Kenyan character is a runner. That is how things relate to each other.
ON: Do you think Brazil will win the World Cup?
FM: No doubt. (laughs) 100 percent. Do you know the Brazilian team? There was nothing similar in the last fifty years! This time, I am sorry, there is no way they are not going to win!
ON: Thank you.
