Ellen Burstyn expressed her gratitude to “all the women who worked on changing the consciousness for the world” on gender equality, speaking at the press conference for Venice film festival title Place To Be.
The 93-year-old US actress addressed a question about still working into her 10th decade, and getting roles as an older woman.
“I remember when I was in my 30s and I thought about how long my career would last, I was sure I’d be finished by 40,” said Burstyn, who received an honorary Golden Lion lifetime achievement award from the festival earlier this week. “The fact I’m 93 and still working is a miracle.
“I’m deeply grateful that all the women who worked on changing the consciousness for the world as regards women, that they did all of that work that made it possible for us to continue and have longer lives as artists.” Burstyn specifically championed journalist and activist Gloria Steinem and her founding of feminist publication Ms. Magazine; Steinem died last week aged 92.
“It’s a line I put into Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore [Martin Scorsese’s 1974 romantic comedy for which Burstyn won the Oscar for best actress],” said Burstyn. “’It’s my life. It’s not some man’s life that I’m helping him out with.
“That was the way it was before the change,” said the actress. “Thank god the world changed and allowed women to be full human beings.”
View this post on Instagram
“It was an amazing feeling that [Burstyn] played that role,” said Hungarian director Mundruczo. “She’s first on the call sheet – just the fact that it’s possible, and we get the trust, the financing and can get this movie out. I’m not sure you can do it 10 years ago.”
Jovial
Place To Be is a road movie about an unexpected friendship between an elderly woman [Burstyn] and a middle-aged man [Taika Waititi] travelling from Chicago to New York to return a lost racing pigeon to its owner.
Waititi was in a jovial mood throughout the conference, taking pictures and videos of Burstyn and the assembled journalists on several occasions, and saying he gets “very distracted… I like shiny things. I’ve been looking at that wall this entire time.”
The New Zealander, who has directed films including Jojo Rabbit and the upcoming Klara And The Sun, said he was relieved to have fewer duties on Place To Be.
“When you’re directing a movie, you carry that with you for sometimes two years – there’s a lot of stress,” said Waititi. “I was always jealous of actors, especially the ones I worked with; they seemed so carefree, and life was so easy for them. When I had the opportunity to work with Kornel, he said ‘all you have to do is act’, I was so excited to not have to finish the movie myself. I’ve loved Ellen for years from afar, and just the opportunity to work with her was the main draw for me.”
WME Independent handles sales on Place To Be, which is an Australian production with producers including Ukrainian mogul Alexander Rodnyansky.
Venice film festival runs until Saturday, September 12.
No comments yet