"The Son" Director Florian Zeller: What he entrusts to the relationship between three generations [Director's Interview Vol.293]

Director Florian Zeller depicts the relationship between dementia and family from a new perspective with `` The Father '' (2020). His latest work, ``The Son,'' depicts the story of the emotional distance between a parent and child. This work is the second part of a family trilogy that director Zeler has depicted as a play. Using a method different from that of `` The Father ,'' the film carefully unravels the parent-child relationship and issues of the heart. This film is full of strong Arrival, but what kind of thoughts did director Zeller have in creating it? I spoke to him.

"The Son" synopsis

Peter (Hugh Jackman), an excellent lawyer who is relied on by famous politicians, is living a fulfilling life with his remarried wife Beth (Vanessa Kirby) and their newborn child. At that time, his 17-year-old son Nicholas (Zen McGrath), who lives with his ex-wife Kate (Laura Dern), begs him to stay with his father. Beth, who was confused at first, agrees and a new life with Nicholas begins. However, when it turns out that Nicholas is not attending the high school he was supposed to have transferred to, father and son get into a heated argument. Why don't you face life? What was the son's answer to his father's question?

Index

• Trauma that is inherited
• What we entrusted to the relationship of three generations

Trauma that is inherited

Q: From my perspective as a parent, my viewpoints and feelings overlapped with the various characters that appear in this movie.

Zeller: For me, movies are like a mirror. I want the audience to be able to see themselves and learn something about themselves. When something painful happens, we tend to think that we are the only ones suffering, but watching movies makes us realize that we are part of this big world and that there are other people who feel the same way. It makes me feel. I think that is the role of movies and art. All people experience similar things, such as joy and sadness, happiness and anger. Through the movie, you can feel this and realize that you are not alone. That's what a movie is.

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Q: The line ``so what'' by my grandfather (Anthony Hopkins) is very memorable. What kind of thoughts did you put into this scene and line?

Zeller: This story is told from the perspective of Peter, the father, but the inclusion of his grandfather emphasizes that Peter himself is a son and is in pain. Peter tries to be a better father than his own father, but it's not easy. Even though he thinks he is doing things differently than his father, he unconsciously repeats the same things to his own son. Those scenes and lines depict how that trauma is passed on in a cyclical manner. At the same time, it also raises the question of how to break that chain. This applies to all of us. Because we are eternal sons and daughters.

What we entrusted to the relationship of three generations