May December with Todd Haynes and Gregg Araki (Ep. 450)

The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Directors Guild of America

Tv & Film

4.6 • 848 Ratings

🗓️ 30 November 2023

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Director Todd Haynes discusses his new film, May December, with fellow Director Gregg Araki in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses scouting for the right location to match the specific time and feel of the story, casting and working with longtime collaborator Julianne Moore, and playing with framing and reflections to mirror the multifaceted narrative of the story. The film tells the story of Gracie and Joe, a married couple who, two decades prior, were the subject of a scandalous tabloid romance. When an actress visits their home to research Gracie for a movie role, the uncomfortable details from the scandal emerge, causing long-dormant emotions to resurface. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://dga.org/Events/2024/January2024/MayDecember_QnA_1123.aspx

Transcript

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0:00.0	Images like, you know, frames like this, this use of the lens as the mirror and all of these mirror scenes that recur through the film,
0:09.7	setting up that frame and letting, having the actors look into the lens as themselves and looking off the lens as the reflection of the other woman standing next to her.
0:20.7	But I knew it needed that kind of strong framing element that would make you go, okay, not
0:28.2	everything is going to be on the surface here.
0:53.4	Okay. Hello and welcome back to the director's cut, brought to you by the Directors Guild of America. In this episode,
0:55.6	a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to research their infamous
0:59.9	past, and director Todd Haynes' drama, May December. The film follows Gracie and Joe, a married
1:07.1	couple who, two decades prior, were the subject of a scandalous tabloid romance.
1:12.3	When an actress visits their home to research Gracie for a movie role,
1:15.7	uncomfortable details from the scandal emerge, causing long dormant emotions to resurface.
1:22.8	In addition to May-December, Haynes' credits include the feature films,
1:26.9	Dark Waters, Safe, Velvet Gold Mine,
1:30.5	Far from Heaven, I'm Not There, and Carol, an episode of the television series Enlightened,
1:36.9	and the miniseries Mildred Pierce.
1:40.9	Following a screening of the film at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, Haynes spoke with
1:45.8	director Greg Araki about filming May December. Listen on for their spoiler-filled conversation.
1:55.7	They said that I should introduce Todd, but I think he needs no introduction.
2:06.3	We haven't done a, like, Q&A together.
2:12.3	Have you ever seen that thing?
2:13.6	It's on YouTube.
2:14.7	I had a screening recently at UCLA, and one of the students is,
2:18.9	look at this YouTube clip. And it's us, the two of us, we're doing an interview together
	...

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