Carlos, the movie»:interview with Olivier Assayas and Edgar Ramirez

Le Hussard met in Paris with director Olivier Assayas and actor Edgar Ramirez of the movie «Carlos», July 07. Film adaptation shown at Cannes a year ago, the story of the famous international terrorist has an impressive 70 campaign. Critics almost unanimously welcomed the achievements of the actor and the nuances of an unusual film.

Le Hussard: Edgar Ramirez said there was a «empathy» to understand and embody precisely the character of Carlos, a mixture of charisma and cruelty and seduction. To humanize. But understand, is not it love, as Romain Rolland wrote?

Olivier Assayas: The love of the character of Carlos? No, this is not possible. Not made my film. No travel for me, but the question of the character of Carlos was supported by Edgar Ramirez had full confidence in him. By remaining totally objective, that is, the less romantic as possible, something unknown to me was drawn through the film, which gives an image of Carlos and changes in the circumstances. My work is the product of a long documentation. Of course, in the intimate scenes, there was nobody. But there are biographies, statements such as Magdalena Kopp (wife of Charles Ed), for example. Then, each judge. I have no problem with those who are interested in the character, but I have no trouble getting a definitive position on Carlos and I trust that the public has too.

During the film, we feel that the historical reflections are taken for a psychological interpretation of the character of Carlos. This vision takes Does your personal story, his fascinated gaze of a teenager who lived through that period?

Olivier Assayas: I lived in the 70s. I was a teenager. At that time it was hard not being involved in this great movement that wanted to transform the world. I also participated, without adhering to the Maoist ideas. For me, China was a totalitarian, not fooled. Before the film, so I had a very negative view of Carloss. It was a simple executor of the dirty work of another State. He studied at Moscow University. In writing the script and the production of this film, I discovered that Carlos was a product of his time. It is a militant like so many others. It is also a soldier who seems to be involved in what might be called a war. It is an absolute when it has the feeling of being pulled out the gun and kills him. It embodies my sense of drift in some areas, the temptation of terrorism that I despised. However, I did not want to press the psychology of Carlos. I tried to be factual and true because I have no ideological budget.

Must admit that everyone has an opinion about his vision of Carlos, the latter did not hesitate to express it publicly. How will welcome criticism of his film?

Olivier Assayas: Carlos has read the script before filming .. Neither has seen the film so far. does not necessarily like, because it’s true. It describes a reality. However, now convicted and imprisoned in France for the attack in the street Toullier in 1975, continues to deny the facts by saying that nobody can know who killed who, because he was a huge firefight.

Major points of disagreement, which is able to express that his wife was much prettier than that embodies the screen and does not smoke cigarettes, cigars,

Olivier Assayas: Yes .. Carlos did not provide credible versions of his personal history. He did not react to the announcement of the film. The tests were carried out in September, he may at that time.

Beyond these controversies, the film touches current issues and controversies: the commitment to pro-Palestinian terrorism gives birth to Charles, his struggle against Zionism .. What you think of the recent boycott of a movie cinema utopia Israeli response to the fleet Gaza humanitarian?

Olivier Assayas: It’s terrible. Such is the simplification of the problems of the world today. Some find that there are other truths that the media. People are deceived. This boycott is ridiculous, in general, the incursion of politics, the simplification in the film. This is the same as saying that «it is political theater,» while it is more often social cinema.

Edgar Ramirez, Olivier Assayas has made a subjective interpretation of Carlos in the decision to explore all the nuances of his personality. Why did you decide to accept this role first, and his vision is closer to the director?

Edgar Ramirez: What I decided, without prejudice to the vision presented by Olivier and his way of presenting all the contradictions of Carlos. These are what we have as human beings. This story attracted me because it is real in the sense of the term, it is true is the story of our humanity. We try to keep the film of this complexity. The presentation of this humanity that makes us think, made me think, so I accepted this project.

How did you prepare this project, to identify completely with the life of a terrorist to understand all the subtleties

Edgar Ramirez: I first intellectually. I have read many books, I have a lot of research to understand the media image that gave Carlos and go beyond. Then I put my person, I played with the imagination that this mixture gives a human dimension to the character I incarnated on the screen.