Chloé Zhao - 'Hamnet'

27 Jan 2026 · 1 h 13 min · 30 chapters

Ask about this episode

Ask anything about it. ChatGPT or Claude reads this page and answers with the times it was said.

Connect VO and ask about every podcast you hear, including the moments you saved. Add to ChatGPT · Add to Claude

In short

```markdown

Awards Chatter Episode Summary

Chloé Zhao - 'Hamnet'

Podcast Overview Title: Awards Chatter Host: Scott Feinberg Episode: 626 Guest: Chloé Zhao Description: In this episode, two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao reflects on her journey from indie filmmaking with 'Nomadland' to working on Marvel's 'Eternals', and discusses her latest work, 'Hamnet', for which she is again double Oscar-nominated.

---

Key Themes and Discussions

Chloé Zhao's Journey

  • Background:
  • Born and raised in Beijing, China.
  • Parents held standard jobs; mother was a dancer and father a government employee.
  • Early exposure to literature and a range of films including Chinese wuxia and Western movies.
  • Education and Early Career:
  • Moved to England at 14, then to the United States to study at Mount Holyoke College (Political Science, with a minor in Film).
  • Attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she honed her filmmaking skills and developed lasting relationships with peers.

Attraction to American West

  • Zhao discusses her fascination with the American West and indigenous cultures. She felt a need to explore and depict stories that resonate deeply with her experiences and observations.
  • Her film 'Songs My Brothers Taught Me' marked her entry into this thematic exploration, focusing on the Lakota reservation.

Filmmaking Style

  • Working with Non-Actors:
  • Emphasizes authenticity by casting non-actors in her films, believing their lived experiences add depth and realism.
  • Discusses her approach to directing, which blends emotional sensitivity with the need for storytelling.
  • Creative Processes:
  • Utilizes a collaborative environment on set, fostering a safe space for actors to explore their characters.
  • Incorporates unique techniques, such as breathing exercises, to help actors transition into emotional scenes.

Transition and Reinvention

  • After her successes with 'Nomadland' and 'Eternals', Zhao experienced a four-year hiatus, described as a "mid-life crisis". This period led to personal growth and reassessment of her creative direction.
  • Zhao's return to filmmaking with 'Hamnet' represents a culmination of her experiences and emotional evolution, allowing her to present a deeply personal story.

Reception of 'Hamnet'

  • The film has garnered acclaim, with Zhao reflecting on its profound emotional impact, as echoed by notable figures like Jane Fonda, who praised it as a film that transcends words.
  • Discusses the importance of creating a communal experience through film, highlighting the role of storytelling in addressing collective vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

  • Chloé Zhao’s interview reflects her journey as a filmmaker, her unique creative process, and the thematic depth of her works. The episode paints a portrait of an artist who prioritizes genuine storytelling and exploration of complex human experiences.

---

Notable Quotes

  • *“I think there are two types of voices we have. One is a speaking voice. The other one is a listening voice.”*
  • *“Leadership strength comes from interdependence, not dominance.”*
  • *“The foundation started to go, in that moment, you're at a crossroad.”*

Key Takeaways

  • Zhao's artistic journey emphasizes the importance of authenticity and connection in storytelling.
  • Her experiences highlight the challenges and triumphs of navigating the film industry as a woman of color.
  • 'Hamnet' symbolizes a return to her roots and a deep engagement with the themes of grief and motherhood.

---

Related Works

  • Previous Films:
  • *Songs My Brothers Taught Me* (2015)
  • *The Rider* (2017)
  • *Nomadland* (2020)
  • *Eternals* (2021)
  • Upcoming Projects:
  • *Hamnet* (2025)
  • Other future projects including a version of *Dracula* and a sequel to *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*.

``` This markdown summary provides a detailed overview of the podcast episode, emphasizing the key themes and discussions, while also highlighting Zhao's journey, creative processes, and the reception of her latest film 'Hamnet'.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Chloé Zhao's Journey to Filmmaking

1:39 to 2:22

Discover Chloé Zhao's path to America and her early career decisions.

Early Influences and Cultural Perspective

2:22 to 4:15

Chloé discusses her upbringing in China and its impact on her filmmaking.

“And so, without further ado, let's go to that conversation.”

Boarding School Experiences

4:15 to 6:00

Learn about Chloé's boarding school experiences and her adjustment to life in England.

“I think that's when Western movies started to come in.”

Discovering American Culture

6:00 to 8:00

Chloé reflects on her experiences and disillusionment with American culture.

“So you're kind of dropped off in London and good luck?”

Transition to College and Politics

8:00 to 10:00

Chloé discusses her decision to study American politics and film at college.

“I can perform or it could be photography maybe so then I had an opportunity to go to the States and at the time after having seen so many American films I said, why not?”

Career Paths After College

10:00 to 12:00

Chloé describes her life after college and the journey to filmmaking.

“You know, it's got black and white, every shade of gray in between.”

Deciding to Attend Film School

12:00 to 14:06

Chloé shares her motivations and hesitations about attending film school.

“What happened during those five years that made you – you didn't graduate from college and say, I'm going right to be a filmmaker.”

The Decision to Pursue Film

14:06 to 16:46

Chloé Zhao discusses her journey to film school and the challenges she faced.

“and this is a great film school, but what made you decide that's where you wanted to focus your attention?”

Mentorship and Influential Professors

16:46 to 17:48

Zhao shares insights about her professors at NYU and their impact on her.

“Was there one professor who was particularly a standout for you?”

Attraction to the American West

17:48 to 19:15

Exploring Zhao's fascination with the American West and its influence on her work.

“Recently you were nice enough to be part of our director roundtable so people can go and see the whole conversation.”
Show all 30 chapters

Instinctual Decision-Making

19:15 to 21:37

Zhao reflects on her instinctual choices in filmmaking and the importance of intuition.

“And then I also was growing out of that version of me, which is I started to crave silence.”

Challenges in Filmmaking

21:37 to 23:04

Zhao discusses the obstacles she faced while producing her first film, Lee.

“At the time, I didn't think too much of it.”

Turning Adversity into Opportunity

23:04 to 24:43

Zhao details how she turned setbacks into opportunities during her filmmaking journey.

“And then by the time we got out of it, the recession had really seethed everywhere, especially in our industry.”

Casting Non-Actors and Neorealism

24:43 to 27:37

Discussing the philosophy of working with non-professional actors in her films.

“From an interesting company, I'm not going to name.”

The Quest for Truth in Storytelling

27:37 to 31:51

Zhao elaborates on her desire to uncover truth and connect with her subjects.

“And then if the Italians, and I guess, you know, I think about it, the Dardennes and Sean Baker and you guys are keeping this going.”

Navigating the Aftermath of 'Songs My Brothers Taught Me'

31:51 to 36:30

Explore the challenges Zhao faced after her first film and her journey to create 'The Rider'.

“okay, so Songs My Brothers Taught Me comes out in 2015, premieres at Sundance, then plays at Cannes in the director's Fortnite section.”

The Birth of 'The Rider' and Its Impact

36:30 to 42:01

Learn about the inception of 'The Rider' and the cultural themes it explores.

“We moved to Denver because we end up with a dog from the reservation who attacked all the other dogs in New York City and killed the squirrels because he's so wild.”

Exploring the Characters of 'Nomadland'

42:01 to 43:31

Learn how the character Fern was developed and its inspirations.

“And so when she wrote me, and I had not worked with an actor of that caliber before.”

The Journey to a Bigger Budget

43:31 to 45:56

Discover how Chloé Zhao navigated working with a higher budget and a movie star.

“which I can't imagine is a coincidence, the names being so similar.”

Balancing Multiple Projects

45:56 to 48:00

Understand the challenges and benefits of juggling films at the same time.

“And now I will a lot of times find a solution if not with them.”

The Unique Experience of 'Eternals'

48:00 to 50:18

Learn about the distinctive nature of directing 'Eternals' compared to past work.

“But you've said that it was maybe not – at least not exclusively that.”

Reflections on Oscar Night

50:18 to 52:18

Explore Chloé Zhao's thoughts and feelings about her Oscar experience.

“So when I read that treatment, I felt like electrified because I was given a Greek play.”

Understanding the Significance of Awards

52:18 to 55:50

Hear how Zhao processed her achievements amidst personal challenges.

“I guess a couple of just really quick questions about that Oscar night because it is something that only a few people were actually there for, unlike other Oscars.”

Reflecting on the Oscars Night

56:00 to 57:10

Chloé Zhao shares her memories of winning Best Picture and the unique atmosphere of that night.

“and acknowledge the hard work it took to get them.”

Navigating Midlife Changes

57:10 to 59:20

Zhao discusses her personal growth during the four years between films and the impact of aging on her creativity.

“And then the security is like getting you out.”

Transitioning to 'Hamnet'

59:20 to 1:01:40

Chloé Zhao reflects on her journey from working on 'Eternals' to directing 'Hamnet' and the challenges faced.

“as well in many ways, like physically, emotionally, but also spiritually.”

Unique Directing Techniques

1:01:40 to 1:05:30

Zhao explains her unconventional techniques used on set to evoke genuine performances from actors.

“It was like, oh, this seems contained compared to Dracula.”

The Essence of 'Hamnet'

1:05:30 to 1:10:03

Zhao discusses the themes of 'Hamnet', audience reactions, and the importance of vulnerability in filmmaking.

“You know, like shamans used to put their bodies through great, intense experience in order to channel through something as medicine for the tribe to receive a mirror.”

The Role of Cinema in Vulnerability

1:10:03 to 1:10:57

Learn about the importance of storytelling in creating a safe space for emotions.

“And I think what Jane is saying and feeling is that cinema and storytellers have that responsibility to create these containers and to allow ourselves to come into this space.”

Excitement for Upcoming Projects

1:10:57 to 1:11:37

Discover Chloé Zhao's upcoming projects and her creative range.

“Well, I can't put it better than she did, so I won't try.”
Hear the part that matters, and keep it.Open this episode in VO. Double tap your headphones to save a moment as you listen.
Get VO free

Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00So good, so good, so good. Spring styles are at Nordstrom Rack stores now, and they're up to 60 % off. Stock up and save on Rag & Bone, Madewell, Vince, All Saints, and more of your favorites. How did I not know Rack has Adidas? Why do we rack? For the hottest deals. Just so many good brands. Join the Nordiclub to unlock exclusive discounts, shop new arrivals first, and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite Rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack.

0:38Hi, everyone, and thank you for tuning in to the 626th episode of the Hollywood Reporters Awards Chatter podcast. I'm the host, Scott Feinberg, and my guest today is a Chinese writer, director, producer, and film editor who has just five feature films to her name, all released within the past 11 years. 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me, 2017's The Writer, 2020's Nomadland, 2021's Eternals, and 2025's Hamnet, but has, through them, become one of the most admired filmmakers of her generation. In the words of The Guardian, brilliant, a genuinely original and daring filmmaker, and, per the New York Times, one of cinema's most distinguished and distinctive directors.

1:22Only the second woman and first woman of color to win the Best Director Oscar for Nomadland, which also brought her the Best Picture Oscar, she is now nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars for Hamnet, which is also nominated for Best Picture. Chloe Zhao. Over the course of a conversation at the LA offices of The Hollywood Reporter, the 43-year-old and I discussed her path to America and to filmmaking, and her particular attraction to the American West, why early in her career she so frequently cast in her films people who had never acted before, and how she directed them versus how she directs established stars like those she has cast more recently, what happened after she made Nomadland, a$5 million indie, and Eternals, a$236 million Marvel movie, back-to-back, that prompted her to then step away from filmmaking for four years and almost to pass on Hamnet, and what it was about making Hamnet that helped her to fall back in love with filmmaking, plus much more.

2:22And so, without further ado, let's go to that conversation.

2:33Chloe, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. Great to see you. Great to have you. On this one, we go back to the very beginning. So to begin with, if people don't know, can you share where you were born and raised and what your folks did for a living? I was born and raised in Beijing, China. My family still lives there. Yeah. And what professions were your parents? My mom was a dancer at some point and then she worked in the hospital and my dad was a government employee in their steel department and then they were both remarried and so yeah they standard jobs. Yeah when you were growing up what were their attitudes towards towards the arts and maybe film specifically?

3:22Was it something that they enjoyed themselves or might have wanted their kid to avoid? How did they feel about it all? I had a lot of freedom when I was young. They were both busy working, so they weren't around very much. And I think a lot of the kids, my generation at the time, parents were working. So a lot of us, at least I remember in Beijing, went to boarding school at a very young age. at kindergarten or grandparents' house. And so a bit of a wild child because we just left our own devices a lot. But we had a lot of books at home. My dad read a lot, a lot of poetry, Chinese poetry. And then a lot of, you know, we had Chinese wuxia genre, like martial arts fantasy stories.

4:15So we had TV shows. only until I was an early teen. I think that's when Western movies started to come in. I personally didn't have a lot of access to it until the national station was broadcasting one per week on a Sunday. Interesting. And did you immediately kind of perk up at a particular movie or movies in general? What was your... Well, we had our own movies in China. About Western films, I think it was like Terminator 2, True Lies, Sister Act, Ghost. These were the ones that I remember really vividly. But I also had a lot of anime. You know, we had Transformers. We had, oh, that's not anime.

5:02We had Transformers, which I was obsessed with. It was the cartoon. Not a cartoon. How do you call it? Animated series. Animated series. And then we had all the Japanese anime that you guys probably have seen. And then some, you know. You mentioned a lot of kids were going off to boarding school at a young age. You didn't go until 14, but was that? I did since kindergarten. Oh, you did to boarding school even before that? In China, we have a lot of just state boarding school. I did kindergarten, elementary school, middle school. First year of high school, I was boarding. I used the wrong term then because what I mean is it seems like you left the whole part of the world where your parents were when you were, was it like?

5:51To England. To England at 14. That's also boarding school. Boarding school too. But like at that time from what I read, you had not really learned English yet. How could you have been expected to? So you're kind of dropped off in London and good luck? In Hogwarts. No, it was in Brighton. In Brighton, okay. Yeah. We learned English in school, right, in school, but you learned a language in a foreign country, you might have the grammar down, but the speaking and listening stuff. So I remember I used to not be able to pronounce excuse me. I can only say excuse me. I couldn't get my tongue going excuse me.

6:33And I was crying so much on the plane, worried about embarrassing myself and the shame around that. Good. Yeah. I guess so. She turned out okay. Yeah, I was going to say. She can say excuse me. Well, I wouldn't want to try my pronunciation of Chinese. It's harder. So you've said that when you were in England, you basically started to look at your own history and culture a little differently. And then maybe that had something to do with the decision to go to the university in the United States, Mount Holyoke. Can you just talk about what changed as you left China? Yeah, not in the U.K. so much.

7:21I was quite sheltered because I studied it was, again, if you didn't speak the language, you can't really you know, I was more focused on theater and painting. I did a lot of painting. I thought of going to art school in St. Andrews. That was my dream, to study painting because you don't have to talk to anybody. And I never thought at that time I could be a storyteller. I'm not a writer film never even entered my mind I thought maybe I could be a painter or maybe some kind of physical I can perform or it could be photography maybe so then I had an opportunity to go to the States and at the time after having seen so many American films I said, why not?

8:18And they asked me to choose a city, and I said Los Angeles, because that's where Hollywood is. Right. So exciting. But then I got here, I was like, oh, it was 1999. And I thought, this is not what it looks like in the movies. Where were you? You were in— Downtown L.A. Downtown L.A., yeah. Downtown in Koreatown. Yeah. 1999. Not as glamorous as you were. No, no, no. I went to L.A. High, you know, which in 1999 is a tough school, you know. But it was that year, I have one year left in high school. I met incredible teachers there. And I was opened up to kind of the belly of America in a way, you know, so complex, Los Angeles.

9:12especially in around 1990 that you know around that time still have the remnants of a lot of events that's happened and i i didn't understand any of that because those things weren't depicted you know the race riot they weren't depicted in hollywood movies for for the chinese audience at the time for blockbuster movies so and i'm in i lay high and then i look around i go what this is is this America? So all the teachers find me really cute and sad. So they sat me down after school or doing lunch, try to teach me America outside the textbooks. So it was an incredible year, and it was that year.

9:55And because my understanding of America, the disillusionment, and getting to know, oh, it is complex. You know, it's got black and white, every shade of gray in between. So then that made me, in a way, kind of allowed me to step out of my own culture or be able to have a curiosity about this country from where I come from. As opposed to feeling like this is perfect here. I just, as long as I'd be part of this, maybe it's great. But then you realize, oh, no, everywhere is complex. because the movies don't show I mean they do but it's not well it's also interesting how many of our greatest filmmakers have been people that actually are not from the United States so like you know back to Chaplin right and maybe that outsider perspective is it's hard you know it's hard I still haven't told my own story you know it's hard to do that and that's why we need each other that's why it's healthy to be in a tribe because then you kind of get to see ourselves from the other person's reflection.

11:11You know, that's not a bad thing. But I was very, that year in LA High, I was very in debt to my teachers who made me, fell in love with the complexity of this place. And then I also felt like nobody really belonged here. Completely. I didn't. I were so many immigrants here. So it felt really more at home than when I was in the UK. And so I decided if I were going to college, I was going to study American politics. And so that was – you minored in film at Mount Holick, but political science, I guess, was the focus. And I wonder – it seems like you graduate – I believe these numbers are correct – graduated in 2005 and don't start at NYU Tisch until 2010.

12:07What happened during those five years that made you – you didn't graduate from college and say, I'm going right to be a filmmaker. No, I didn't think I can. Who is it? I mean, it's so, no. And I studied at film just because I have enough credit to declare. I also did, you know, painting and Italian studies. I could have declared three minors. Yeah, okay. But they said pick one. I thought, meh. Was it there that you first took film study really seriously? No. No? No. Not until NYU? No, yeah. So how did you end up at NYU? What was going on in those five years in between? What was going on in five years in your 20s?

12:45Hey, we could. We'll have a separate episode about that. So, yeah, that is a way to say a lot of things. A lot of things. Well, you know, I used to make a joke because I went to a liberal arts college. And it's a women's college, too. So when you leave the bubble, the very protective bubble of Mount Holyoke, and you study liberal arts, and either being recruited to the finance world or pre-law or pre-med, or you become a bartender in New York and eventually go to a film school. That's the trajectory. Because then a few years later, you realize you can't get a job. Well, and it's interesting though, because as you say, bartender, I think - I did all kinds of stuff.

13:35I promoted events. I worked in a clothing store in Soho for a long time. I bartended everywhere in Brooklyn and waitressed in Times Square. Oh, yeah? Right across the Ambassador Theater. Oh, my God. It's like the rush. It's just most insane. Makes film sets look easy. It's waitressing New York City. Yeah. But why, if you were not already in love with film, maybe, to then commit to going to film school? and this is a great film school, but what made you decide that's where you wanted to focus your attention? Truthfully? Yeah. It's not like I'm not, you know, I have colleagues, that's all they wanted to do.

14:24They're very clear. It's not that I don't. I just don't think it's possible. And the idea of entering, you know, because if you write, all you need is a pen, right? Paint, music, all of that. But to make films, I felt like you have to belong to some secret network to do it. But just the thought of that is I was a waitress. But then I also weighted things in the sense that I look at my chips. What skills do I have? I can't quite spell all the words. even though I'm a good writer but I have insecurities around like but you know is your language, is not your first language and I'm getting over that because you know people can help you with that and then I also tried photography in college it's just a lot of like numbers to deal with and then I tried painting and then I continued to paint but then I was, the reality of making a living of that is like you know but I also I also love all of these things you know and I also love performing you know so I love all of these things you always feel like even if I commit to one and take the leap then I'm going to get sidetracked to do the other and after a while I thought well there's one role that you sort of get to do all of these things and you also don't have to be really good at any of them well that was a good way to work backwards to get there yeah you're jack of all trade yeah and i'm not gonna say master of now because that's just that that would annoy people but you're sort of a jack of all trade right and i was like that i know a little bit about everything and i'm interested in people yeah and they seem to open up to me when i bartend and i thought maybe maybe i'll try applying to film school i didn't want to live in new york so i only apply for Columbia and NYU.

16:30So while you're at NYU, just to state a few things for listeners, I know one of your professors was Spike Lee. I took one class with Spike Lee. One class? Well, that's okay. You made... He was not your only... Mentor for years. Was there one professor who was particularly a standout for you? The professors in my class, they were very strong. I mean, John Tintori, who was the head of NYU at the time, really saw something in me even though I always get in trouble. I'll be shooting places they tell me not to shoot, things like that. But he just somehow thought, I'm going to let her break the rules.

17:06And then Mick Cassell was my screenwriter teacher. When I go back to New York, if I can, I still go sit in his class. That's great. Yeah, and then Carol Dysinger taught us editing. And I remember going, in her first class, I remember going, actually, I'm pretty good at this. I like editing because I've been reading manga my whole life. and those are frames, you know, these are edited frames. Interesting. And the other thing I guess that one kind of hopes happens at film school and it definitely seems to have happened for you is you meet the people you're going to work with, right, coming out. Yeah, kind of the main point of film school.

17:45It's like a big chunk of it. Yeah. Recently you were nice enough to be part of our director roundtable so people can go and see the whole conversation. That was a good one. It was fun. It was fun. Thank you again for doing it. And one of the things, though, that we got into is what might it be that attracts filmmaker to a specific kind of place? And we had Joachim Trer talking about why he's Oslo and Ryan with Oakland. And for you, though, it was— Jim with Pandora. Yeah, Jim with Pandora. Exactly. Exactly. But I guess the obvious question for you is why would somebody from Beijing who's lived in Los Angeles, who's lived in Amherst area for Mount Holyoke and lived in New York, what would be the particular draw to the American West generally, but specifically, you know, with your first project coming out of school, which I know sort of morphed from Lee, right?

18:44to... They're like, you're making a film on the Lakota reservation. Why are you calling it leave? I know, it's going to change. Well, that was one of a number of questions. It was the name of the boy. I just thought, I don't know. It's perfectly fine, but I guess bottom line is, why, not just for that first film that became Songs My Brother Tommy, but also subsequently The Rider and Nomadland and elements of it even in other things. why do you think you were drawn to that at the beginning initially I've been in New York for I think a good 8-9 years by then and I was also in my late 20s coming to my 30s and I can feel something shifting which is one I don't think I can make a film in New York that somebody hasn't already made it really well that's a good reason incredible filmmakers making films from that city, making films about that city.

19:45And then I also was growing out of that version of me, which is I started to crave silence. I started to crave something older. And I started to crave something man hasn't touched, mankind hasn't touched, something ancient. So I think in Beijing, even at a young age, I always sort of had a romanticism towards the gray plains of Mongolia, inner Mongolia. And so in New York, I started to think about what to do for my thesis. And initially it was a short. I just stumbled onto the name Devil's Lake in North Dakota. I thought, Devil's Lake, what a great name. You know, in the middle of America, there are so many incredible names of places.

20:36And I love the name Devil's Lake. And so then I wrote a short about something happened on a farm and then on a ranch. And then that led me researching the area. And then that's when I started to come upon reservations and started to learn about that history. And becoming, I almost right away went, aha, this is what I'm looking for. an indigenous culture of this land I'm on. I just knew that's where I had to go. And then there are great photographers like Aaron Huey who walk across America and took incredible photos. And he walked through Pine Ridge and he took these photos and I saw these photos.

21:22I knew that's where I had to go. It was very instinctual. It's probably one of the first few times in my life where I made decisions purely based on instinct. And there was no rationality. And I listened. At the time, I didn't think too much of it. Now I go, oh, that was a very important moment. Totally. And I guess another moment I have to ask you about, it might be kind of painful to think back about, but so you start, while you're still a student, I guess, you start down the road to making this movie, Lee. Can you share with people, just so they can understand, what was the moment when Lee essentially died and Songs My Brothers Taught Me was born?

22:10Thank God Lee died. It's all for the better. Something's going to die for something new to be born. When I was in film school in senior year, again, I felt very lucky that Chris Columbus had a grant there and he gave me money to make Lee. and then Sundance Labs had accepted me to do the screenwriter labs, the writer's lab and all these different labs. And then I had a lot of support there, IFP, Film Independent. I feel like, ooh, my vision, this is the shit. People are really loving this. Right, right. And then the financial crisis. Or we were coming out of it. Yeah. We were actually in film school when it was happening.

22:58The Great Recession. It's a great recession. Sorry, the Great Recession. So then we just didn't know. We were these 30 people living in a bubble. And then by the time we got out of it, the recession had really seethed everywhere, especially in our industry. And many of those middle-level companies had gone away. So at that time, and I remember it went from, oh, you're going to make your first feature and then focus feature is going to give you a three-picture deal and you're going to premiere Sundance and your whole life will say to like, so is this an elevated genre or not? You know, is this a genre or is there a ghost?

23:42I was like, is it a real ghost or? I'm like, no, it's more like a metaphor. So there's no ghost. There could be if you give me money. Everyone's looking for genre films, right? And so the dramas, you know, independent drama, it's just no way. And so then we tried to raise money, like keep funding, keep falling through. And then those kids that I met on the reservation, they were growing up. They were turning 18. They were no longer teenagers. And then we got the money finally in that spring. and I remember my DP, Josh Richards, and I, we went to New Jersey to do the camera test. So excited, finally going.

24:29And I remember getting a call from our producer and the financier and I go in the bathroom and I said yes. And then they said we didn't get the money back from our previous film that we needed. They haven't released the money yet. From an interesting company, I'm not going to name. And then so I don't, you know, so we can't give you the money this spring. And in South Dakota, you've got a couple weeks in the spring, a couple weeks in the fall to film. The weather is so extreme. And I remember just disassociating. And then so me and Josh, we went back to our apartment. And then I remember opening the door, going like, did we not lock the door?

25:15Our whole apartment in Bushwick was cleared out. Robbed. Robbed, cleared out. Including? Oh, including we went on the reservation many times and we did a lot of filming. We were going to include in Lee, right? And the drives, the laptop, everything gone. And I remember sitting there and that was another moment. Talk about another moment. I said to Josh, what should we do? In that moment, I thought, if I have him, and I just need one producer, right, who is going to stay on, and one or two producers, and I just need to know they're going to stick around. And I have that money Chris Columbus gave me still there, and some Kickstarter money.

26:02We also did Kickstarter raising. So I called up. Joshua said, let's do it. Let's do it with the money we have. We have the kids. We have all the locations. You know the story you want to tell. Is this boy going to leave home or not? right you can tell there's a million ways with different budgets i called angela molly they're like we're in right and then next thing you know we just we decided to shoot in the fall so we have a couple months we raised a little bit more money and then off we go seven people and i shot with the treatment i rewrote a treatment and and which in uh i will not advise that but write a script No matter how skeleton it is, because the problem with the treatment is that you realize only in the edit room, there's no transitions from one thing to the other.

26:50It doesn't cut together. Oh, no. Well, it came together beautifully. I rewatched it this week to be fresh for this. And it's an amazing first film. I'm proud of it. You should be. And I guess another thing that kind of stems back all the way to that and continued certainly on The Rider and then to an extent on Nomadland and then kind of philosophically since then is the idea that, you know, we're going to work with people who have not acted before. And that was everyone in Songs My Brothers Taught Me, right? Except Irene Badar. Okay. I guess I just wonder, you know, that kind of like neorealism or whatever has existed since you could go back to the crowd, like King Vitar in the crowd.

27:41And then if the Italians, and I guess, you know, I think about it, the Dardennes and Sean Baker and you guys are keeping this going. But why was that just a matter of practicality that it's better than having to, you know, I guess like it's less expensive than having to hire a movie star or something. Or was it primarily about something else? I think in another life, my dream job as a child was private detective. A detective, or you can say journalist or documentarian, anthropologist, archaeologist. I'm interested in uncovering things, the truth. I want to get to the rawest truth. I need to know.

28:29It's this thirst quest, probably against them from fear of death, needing to control. But I want to get to the real, you know. And I think it's also a deep desire to seek for connection. Because I am, my brain kind of has its own patterns. And I have a very strong ability to sense dissonance in somebody's emotions. so I can't really form connection with you if you are hiding something from me or if you're pretending or even just little moments of dissonance. I catch it. And then you make that my job to catch it. Then I'm like your best, like, what do you call it, the sniffing dog? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

29:17So when I'm making films in places, in situations that most people in this country don't even know. I've never been to places like that. And with the resources we had, it's almost impossible to replace that with actors. Another thing is that I needed their stories. I needed their homes. I needed their friends. I needed their horses and their vans. But it's interesting because not everyone would even recognize or acknowledge that kind of average person, normal person's story could be interesting enough to build a film around. I mean, in this case with, I know with songs, was it Jay Sean? Jay Sean.

30:04Her home had burned down. That was sort of a, like you were drawing from their stories and then that's again going to come up with the writer and obviously Nomadland's a little different. but I guess there's no attitude. You seem to come with it like everybody's story is important. I believe that's the case in film or not, in life. I think there are two type of voices we have. One is a speaking voice. The other one is a listening voice. And I think that voice doesn't get developed as much. so what is intuition except a keen sense of listening and so to feel at that time not only this is what i'm interested in but also this is what is available to me this is also where life had taken me right there's these synchronicities are telling me this is a direction you should go That can also translate to this is what the culture wants right now.

31:16And I can't quite explain why I feel this way. You just sort of sometimes wake up going, whoa, I got myself here. But I do think that is something I try to actively cultivate more now. And that I can, in every day when I create, trying to go like, there are something trying to say something to me. And am I listening? Do I have the tools to listen? Well, definitely. I know with Hamnet that it's going to come up. But before that could happen, okay, so Songs My Brothers Taught Me comes out in 2015, premieres at Sundance, then plays at Cannes in the director's Fortnite section. No distribution. No distribution.

32:00Except in France. Okay. Go France! Go France! France is like holding it down for all of us. Great reviews, though, from the people who did see it. Spirit Award nomination for Best First Feature for You. And yet you've said like radio silence as far as people wanting to do the next project with you. You saw the film. Yeah, but I mean, it's beautiful. Thank you. But maybe not especially commercial or whatever. No, it's not commercial. But so for the next one, it sounds like you were not willing to wait around forever for somebody else to come to give you money having gone through what you went through with the last one.

32:38So in this case, with less money that you are putting up yourself this time, you and Josh, right, fewer people, fewer everything, you basically wind up back in that geographical neighborhood to do The Rider, which for anyone who hasn't seen it, young rodeo star has a— That's what I have to live up to. That's what everyone tells me. That's your best film. Well, it's certainly excellent. But I mean, you got a bunch of candidates for it. I don't know. That one is what I hear the most. It's never as good as a writer, though. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you. Well, for only$80 ,000, again, less than the first film, I think you said you started on it with just 65 pages of a script.

Read the full transcript

33:24I guess can you just break down chronologically how essentially the aftermath of Songs of My Brother led you to go back to that same neighborhood with this, again, a non-actor, Brady Jandro, who was kind of acting out his own story. Yeah. Yeah, tragedy chapter. Yeah. My second career, stomping blog, how do you say? A blog? Not stomping blog. Roadblock? Roblox. I don't like the word failure, but it's disappointment. So the losing money, that was one. Yes. And then I survived that. I go, okay. And then had premiered at Sundance. And then I can't. And then not have distribution. I realized people very soon forgot about it.

34:19And then start having some meetings in LA. Oh, those were a little humiliating because I could tell. They met me because they were told they should, but I can tell in their eyes there's no space for me. And I understand that. They have jobs they need to keep. I just wasn't somebody that they could hand some big jobs to. But you do the rounds. You're nodding. We were all told to do the rounds. and I was because of my dissonance thing very quickly I stopped I knew I was not going to after two meetings I knew I'm never getting a call back from those meetings and so I was too embarrassed to keep doing that so then I went on another dip you know feeling like really disappointed why is this happening what am I going to do is this over and I got really obsessed with decluttering your own home?

35:22Yeah, you know, around that time Marie Kondo came out and then I go, this is what I'm going to do Well, this time it was you decluttering your apartment, not somebody else You know, interestingly, every time there was a cleansing of letting go Yeah, interesting So then, I guess maybe I had to physically manifest the letting go to be emotionist and psychically let go. So I decluttered. I became a minimalist. I got rid of everything. And so very little things. And around that time, that's another one of those moments is that intuition. I remember feeling when I was making songs, there's so much more there.

36:10People haven't seen in that area. And particularly the Lakota rodeo areas. the rodeo circuit the cowboys and I find that so interesting they were Lakota they were cowboys it's such an American contradiction you know also beautiful of this union these cultures clashing into each other and then created this new culture and I was very and I was also interested in masculinity and being around these cowboys I was like I feel I feel I need to go back to them And also, you know, when you have no job and you have no money and you're living in Denver. By that point, you moved to Denver. We moved to Denver because we end up with a dog from the reservation who attacked all the other dogs in New York City and killed the squirrels because he's so wild.

37:06He's a red dog. And he wants to run. You know, he just he wants to be on the plane. So we just like, you know what? We can't fully move to South Dakota. Sometimes I just need a Whole Foods. So then we went to Denver. Colorado is so gorgeous, beautiful. So we went to Denver, and I just had time. So I just drive up to see everybody on the reservation. I just stay on people's ranchers hanging out. And then I remember playing video games in the basement with the rancher's son. And then I got so like, oh, I can't look at the screen anymore. I went outside. It was like a perfect spring afternoon, evening.

37:48And the sun was low. And then I see this young man breaking a horse in this quiet fly boy in a rodeo shirt. And that was it. And so from what I read, I think that just chronologically, that would have been July 2014. He wasn't injured, though, until April 2016. and then you guys went and started making the film in September 2016. Were you already thinking about making a film with him before the injury? You were. So it would have just been a totally different story. Totally different film because I went into that corral that evening and I asked him what he's doing. He started showing me around.

38:25And at some point I touched the back of the horse and I go, what is this? There's a bone. And he said, oh, that's what God puts in a horse to hold the saddle, man. I go, wow, who still talks like that? Because what he's demonstrating to me, and there was no dissonance. He meant it. And what he's demonstrating to me is a way of life that he has conviction for. So I thought, if he can convince me, this cynical Chinese New Yorker, to say, you know, God puts a horse in the sun. I'm like, you can sell this to an audience, right? So then I started for a while. You know, I wanted to make a road movie with him.

39:06Oh, wow. I wrote it. I was very inspired by Bhagabang at the time. So I was thinking Jayshan and him, you know. Right. So I was writing that story. And then he got injured. And it was very clear what the story is. And he never had any hesitation about, like, it was amazing. It's the other person in the film. Lane. Lane Scott. Lane, yeah. I mean, these guys seem just as open about their physical challenges as they had been. They're rodeo cowboys, meaning they're performers in many ways. They've been performing for cameras, putting their lives in danger in the most glorious moment, but also stunted on having to drag themselves out of the field, broken leg.

39:53That's all caught on camera, but that's all for them. Out of it is juicy. Oh, that's beautiful. And visually, that movie's insane. You go off, premiere at Cannes in the director's Fortnite section, which you won, then go to Toronto where one of the people who saw it there, I believe, was Frances McDormand. Who did not go do press. Yeah, she skipped her own press for three billboards. She sees this, if this is in Toronto, it's September 2017, but you don't really hear from her until early 2018. what was that outreach about? Because I guess she already had the rights to the book, No Man Land, right?

40:33Well, I was working, I knew I wasn't done with the middle America yet. And so I was writing a script set in Nebraska in the Sandhills about the Trans-Canada Pipeline and all that was going on there and called The Last Prairie. So I was very, you know, I was still in, I'm not done. And then also I've experienced on the rider this flow state at magic hour. I was addicted to it, both me and Josh. It's this interesting time where there's nothing else you can do but to surrender to the sunset. And then you start to turn. Some part of yourself is activated in that surrender. And it's such a, you're on the spot.

41:17You know, you're in the flow state. And it's so addictive, this way of working. so then I knew I was writing that script and it was okay the script you know it was okay and then Fran sent me that book well the script was I was worried is it gonna be too confined and you know after three stage events that happened in the past when she sent me that book no matter and by the way by that time I was driving I have lived in my car in campsites and making the first two films a lot. I lived in probably every campsite in this country. Not every, but at least a few in each state. And you, for the record, did not know.

41:59You'd never met Fran, right? I know who she is. Yeah, sure. And so when she wrote me, and I had not worked with an actor of that caliber before. So you said the one in songs, right? But basically not a professional actor. Well, yes, they are, but they haven't really left. Well, that's not true. I mean, Irene was Pocahontas, you know, so she did have that way. But Fran is a whole, she's, you know, she's a creature of another realm, you know. And so I, when she, but it's, you know, yes, Fran is exciting, but it's the book she sent me. You know, it was Nomadland, and I remember the title, Nomadland.

42:47You know, it's like when I saw Devil's Lake, I was like, there's something there. And then reading even just the synopsis right away, we're like, wait, the synchronicities of having been, by then I have watched every video, how to build vans, been dreaming about actually have a mobile home. and that book comes, how can you say no? Now just correct me if I'm wrong, but the book itself, there is no character Fern, right? There is the Linda May and Swanky and all these other people who you end up putting in the movie. But Fern becomes who Fran is playing, which I can't imagine is a coincidence, the names being so similar.

43:36And there's a lot of other things that she said were kind of inspired by things she felt and thought and whatever, and yourself as well. So now because of her, you finally get a real budget. Is that the reason? Like you now have$5 million to make the movie. Yeah,$5 million. So exciting. And so. Didn't know what to do with all that money. $5 million. My goodness. But it's interesting because even with a movie star, she reached out to you because she liked the way you worked. you didn't change the way you work because you're working with a movie star but so can you talk about just how you guys navigated that where she's such a unusually private movie star and yet you ask anyone who appears in front of your camera to kind of reveal draw from themselves she was willing to do that to an extent right there were things that you there that you maybe suggested that she was less like you know i heard one thing having her son in there oh and then having a picture of no joel that was i was really pushing for that yeah i was really pushing for that because for a cine for all my cinephile friends right right yeah no that would have been i like easter eggs you see i like those kind of things but like how did you guys no her song no because we knew her character would be not she never had children yeah the point is that There's nothing holding her.

45:02Was it kind of a dance figuring out how much she would be willing to share of herself? Well, Fran, you know, if you bump her up against the edge, she would just say no. And the thing is, I'm not, you know, if you talk to Paul and Jesse, if they say no, I'm not okay. I'm usually fine with that because if you, it's not always the case. But if you find the right actor and wrote the character for that actor, it's probably a good idea to trust their instinct. And there might be, I would say, 20 % of the time, 15 % of the time, I'll push against it. And a lot of times it's because my editor brain is working.

45:43I'm like, I know you don't feel that way, but it's not for you. But then usually their resistance doesn't mean they have the answer, but it will get me thinking. and feeling what they're resisting to. And now I will a lot of times find a solution if not with them. I want people to just kind of, I know I needed to really look into this to make sure I had the chronology right, so maybe you can confirm this. But people think, oh, because Nomadland came out in 2020 and Eternals came out in 2021, that that happened because of Nomadland. But in fact, you went off to Nomadland having already gotten the job for Eternals, right?

46:25Yeah, because I actually just set the record straight. I pitched Eternals before I even shot Nomadland. And I went into Marvel to pitch it the night before I get into my van and drive to South Dakota to shoot the film. And I remember when I left, about to leave that room, Victoria Alonso said to me, just make sure you come back, okay? I was like, why, why, why, why, why? She said, no, just make sure you come back. Why? It doesn't mean, is it a good sign? So I found out, you know, because we have a couple, a week, I think two weeks of prep before we start shooting. We were out there in South Dakota, but it was, I think, two days before we started filming.

47:13They called me and said, you have the job. So I had to start, in a way, working on the script while shooting Nomadland with the fur pose. So that was, you know, I wasn't very present at that time. That's the beginning of me realizing juggling two films has its benefits but also has its problems. And just one, I guess I'm not done bothering you about Nomadland because it's so great. But I want to just first establish. I think people probably in many cases may assume like a young filmmaker who's made movies for so little money as you had made up to that point. The interest in working with Marvel must be like totally understandably.

48:00I want to finally get paid for my work. But you've said that it was maybe not – at least not exclusively that. And in fact, before Eternals, you were approached about Black Widow, right? Years earlier. Yes. And by the way, let me say it right or straight. It doesn't mean I had a job. I was in the running. For which? Widow. For Black Widow, years earlier. I'm not saying that I had a job. Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, sure. And I was in the running. But it didn't feel like the right story for me. So I pulled myself. And then also a conflict with Nomadland. I knew Nomadland was the right story for me at that time.

48:35It does on paper. or look jarring to see Nomadland and Eternals next to each other. And yet you've explained, again on the roundtable, but maybe just we could do the cliff notes here. For you, it was not a totally different kind of experience, right? Eternals was not high on their priority list because it's a quite unique IP and it's on their list of potential. You know, with Marvel, it's very much the need to find the right filmmaker before they say that's the IP we're going to go for. And so, at least at that time. And so I remember at some point, Kevin said to me, it was one of those talks, and he said that, you know why I chose you to do Eternals?

49:25Because I watched the writer. When he said that to me, I didn't know Madeline yet. And he said, and I know that no one, no one told you to make that film. Literally no one in the world was interested in it or told you to do it. But you wanted to do it. And I go, okay, she has that passion and that's how you feel about Eternal. So I'm going to trust that. And you really did feel that passion. I went into the room and when they more gave me the treatment. I think the three years of making those three films, yes, I made three films, but I also grew so much as a person. And I've learned from Lakota Elder to a rodeo cowboy to these nomads.

50:17I've learned so much about life and humanity. So when I read that treatment, I felt like electrified because I was given a Greek play. I was given a Greek play where gods get to discuss everything about human nature based on their own relationship. Like each Greek god had different relationship and they focus on different aspects of the human nature. So they're biased and they're arguing about it. I go like, wow, this feels old. Again, I feel like I'm telling an older story, archetypal story. So I was so excited. And you've said that while there are overall more people and resources and whatever, the overall experience for you as a filmmaker, it's sort of the same people around the world.

51:10Nate Moore, who was also Ryan Coogler's producer on Panther, Nate Moore is a great producer. He comes from indie film. So he really tried very hard to, I don't think it's always the case, but in my experience, he tried really hard to keep it. It's just me, him, and Kevin. for the biggest changes. And then, again, there's 27 people, the HODs, right, sort of around you. And like Jim said, it boiled down to three, four people when you're on set. If you have a really good producer, it's the biggest difference, a producer on set who is going to create that environment. We are about to hit the five-year anniversary of your Oscar night for Nomadland, which was a pretty weird night because the only time the Oscars were done in a train station because of COVID, which had just started, which had already just forced you to have your premiere at a drive-in, the Telluride in LA at a drive-in theater.

52:08Very weird time to come out. When there was a fire over the mountains and you can see the ashes falling. It was so apocalyptic. People had to be there. I guess a couple of just really quick questions about that Oscar night because it is something that only a few people were actually there for, unlike other Oscars. I guess when you think back to that night, what stands out the most to you? You want the positive stuff? Good and bad. Oh, well, I mean, it's good in the most delicious way. You know, you haven't seen people for a long time. It was the first time we were allowed to be in the same rooms.

52:45The entire campaign was done on Zoom. And then the length they went through to COVID test us. My God, we have to individually, days before, multiple times to go to this special place to get tested. And then we all show up feeling like, are we going to contaminate the world by gathering? And it also feels wrong. We were in the Union Station and around that area, there were people who didn't have homes. and it was just, you just feel like, what are we doing? You know, like, what are we doing? And then, but once you get there, and because there's nobody else but the filmmakers and the writers and the producers and the actors, just all the craft people and the people who are actually on set, not anybody else, it was like a tiny film festival in, like, Nebraska.

53:46so that I mean there isn't even an audience no it was like a whole backyard film festival and we're just cheering each other on yeah it's like back in film school no I describe it's almost like a film school festival where we we're our own audience so that was really really beautiful but at the same time there's some dissonance there I did feel I think all of us felt a little disassociated probably okay how about So Fran wins Best Actress for the third time. I was so – I guess we were all so surprised. I don't – yeah. Had you ever heard her reference inclusion writers before? Because nobody – a lot of people were like Googling.

54:29She explained that in one of her interviews. Look it up. No, I will. I'm not going to say here. No, but had you heard her talk about it before? Well, she explained that the nuances is important. You know, she later on explained. Sure. So I heard it like the rest of the world. Yeah, yeah. But I also think the nuance that she later on says important is important too. If that's what you're asking. No, well, I was just curious. It was something because everybody's like. But for our company, as she likes to call it, for Nomadland, it was naturally half and half. Yeah. No, no, no. And I'm just curious if it was a term people used.

55:05I had never heard of. Nomadland, no. No. Okay. Stormrider. Yeah, right. Storm Red because we have code names for ourselves when we go through the border. And then Fran Howell, I remember, at that Oscars. Remember? Because I think you had lost Sound Mixer. We lost our Sound Mixer who was on the Rider with us and No Melon. His name is Wolf. Okay. That was a nice tribute. How about you? I mean, you take home two Oscars in one night. Just the second woman and first woman of color to ever win Best Director. How did you process that? I had a lot to deal with at that time. I thought it was a busy time.

55:40You know, life stuff. Life stuff. And I had a lot to deal with at the time. So I probably could have processed it better, meaning like I probably should have enjoyed it more and told myself, you did a good job. Instead, I was a little too focused on the things I've done, the things that didn't quite work out at that time and not appreciate what that meant. and acknowledge the hard work it took to get them. That was amazing. Last one about that night. Your other Oscar, other than director, was for Best Picture, which is usually the last award of the night, but not that night, which was surprising to a lot of people because they decided to do Best Actor last.

56:22What do you remember of that? Was it just the whole way that went down? I think you know the answer to that. No, I honestly don't. What's the question? What do I remember? Did it surprise you? What did you think about the fact that they changed up the order and also the way that worked out? Because I think most people— I don't know how I was in the room. I don't think I was in the room. When they did Best Actor? Because they told me—because we were backstage. Oh, because you had just won Best Picture. Yeah. I don't think we were even—no, we were in the room. Okay. Yeah, that's right. Because I didn't remember—by the time we come out, it was over.

56:58By the way, it's very different than the Oscars I've seen later on. The normal ones. No, it was over because then we were all in a little tent. Yeah. And there's like a few people there. It's like we just won two Oscars and there's nobody. There's like no one there. Literally no one there. And then the security is like getting you out. Like, don't put your mask on. Don't look at each other. But no, we were backstage when that happened. And by the way, the rooms are so small. You have to be so far from each other. Not everyone can all sit in there. You have to wait outside for your category. They were moving people around, yeah.

57:30Yeah. And then I went to the bathroom. I couldn't even get back in for one of our categories. Thank God we didn't win. Oh, my gosh. Okay. So we've said 2020 Nomadland made for$5 million. 2021 Eternals made for$236 million. And then you have had what you described to all of us at that roundtable as a, I think, a midlife crisis or a nervous breakdown. I forget which one you – Oh, I was going to say nervous breakdown. Not a nervous breakdown. That sounds – I didn't say that. A little dramatic. Okay. Okay, midlife crisis. And I guess I just wonder. It's a slow chip away. Well, so there's those four years between Eternals and Hamnet.

58:08Obviously, you came out of it great, at least as a filmmaker. I don't know, I assume. No, I feel good. I feel good. So what happened in those four years that changed who you were by the time you came back to do Hamnet? Well, getting older, you know, hitting your 40. And as a woman, my body changes a lot during that time. and it's a beautiful change, you know, in a way I have people describe it as like a quickening because you can't just fuck around anymore. And especially if you're in tune with things, you go, whoa, you know, and then the intuition actually is sharper. And then suddenly a lot of things that you use to numb yourself or try to push it aside, it just bubbles up.

58:53And that's what a midlife crisis is. It's actually really good. you know it's really really good because my my my mentor even though i don't know him carl young would say that you spend the first half of your life to build an identity and then you spend the rest of your lives to break it apart so you can go back to who you really are i think that's really beautiful yeah it's like seasons changing you know and so i experienced a lot of losses as well in many ways, like physically, emotionally, but also spiritually. And I think when all these breaks that was so certain, the foundation started to go, in that moment, you're at a crossroad.

59:43I had a choice to, and every time those disappointments, those difficult moments in my career and life happen, there's always a bit of a crossroad. And at the crossroad, you could, in a way, sort of try to go back, try to fight with your life to go back to what you used to be, hold on to what's left, or surrender and then go, like, take me. You know, show me what do you want. You know, something bigger. What do you want me to do? Yeah, and I think that that requires a commitment to go on a journey. It's very much like if you're a storyteller, not a hero's journey, but a goddess's journey. It's a descent.

1:00:31You've got to have to descend into yourself and then hopefully come back up. It's interesting, though, because you're talking about maybe there's a sign or something that you should go on a different, right, like where you should go next. And for a lot of people, they might say that getting a phone call from Steven Spielberg is the sign to do whatever that is. And in this case, he's saying, I believe, along with Sam Mendes, right, that, hey, we want to— Not him personally on the phone. I want to clarify that. If he talked— You would have said yes. Well, no, I would have said yes. I wouldn't have said, like, I'll call you back.

1:01:02Let me think about it. You know, I would be a little— It wasn't him. It was Jeff Brody who was an emblem at the time. Okay. No, I love— I love you, Jeb. No, it was because people say, like, Stephen called you and you say, no, thank you. No, I wouldn't. That would be scary. But for the record, why did you say no and then what turned you around? I didn't say no, no. I just – I was working on Dracula and I was very sure that's going to be my next film. I've worked on it. I'm still working on it very passionately. So that was my dedication. It was Dracula. And so then when this came to me, at first it felt like a very easy film to make.

1:01:46It was like, oh, this seems contained compared to Dracula. This seems like, you know, like this is a drama and it is contained in one family. I mean, it turned out to be the hardest film that I made. But then I just didn't think, based on the log line, you know, Shakespeare, mother losing a child, historical. none of these is obvious to me that I'm the right person for it. Because you've said the mothers in your previous films were all having challenges and different. It wasn't. This was just a character unlike any that you've built a film around. No, especially that kind of powerful, nurturing, unconditionally seeing, holding Divine Mother, that kind of archetype doesn't exist in my film, except as nature.

1:02:41Yes. Last three quick things, if I can, if you don't mind. I was at your Telluride premiere there where you led everyone through, essentially, I don't know if this is the right phrase, but like a guided meditation. It's a breathing exercise. A breathing exercise, which was something, one of many unusual or unconventional techniques that you used on this movie to work with Jesse Buckley and Paul Mescal and everybody else, which included children and extras. And I guess I just wonder, and I mean, there are other things where there's a behind-the-scenes photo of you in that film where Jessie's lying in the forest having given birth and you're crawled up next to her.

1:03:20That's the photo they use for my director. Not purposely for focus, but that's what everybody uses. With you, like the behind-the-scenes. I have other photos, you know? No, and I'm just so curious. Some of these techniques seem to maybe have come out of that four years. Where did some of these different directing approaches come from? There's nothing I do on set. Actors who went to acting school hasn't done it. Do you know what I mean? They would do that to get themselves into character. They do that in their own trailers. And because I've worked with a lot of non-actors, I've gotten used to having to create a container for them because they are not going to do things on the spot, you know, and then they just aren't that.

1:04:04I have to wait and move around them. So I have that training. On Hamnet, it was sometimes we don't realize that the walk between an actor's trailer to the set is not enough for them to be able to somatically drop into that character within that scene. Also, everyone is talking to them and their makeup and everything. So that's why some of them have to do method acting because they have to stay in it all the time. But that's not healthy. That's not healthy for them, for their loved ones. And especially for a film like this, there's no way Jesse is going to stay in that the whole time. So I have learned be kinder to myself.

1:04:54How do I move into real raw emotions, allow myself to feel it, and also take my time to then get out of it? For those four years, I learned a lot of tools from great teachers of containers to help myself to work through my own grief. So I can do what Agnes did. I can express my grief, and I can do it like what Will did, which is I can tell a story. I do it through creativity and I do it through somatically. So then when I get to set, it was really important for us to make that transition for our actors who are modern-day shamans. You know, like shamans used to put their bodies through great, intense experience in order to channel through something as medicine for the tribe to receive a mirror.

1:05:46And so these actors made that decision. and I found it really satisfying to give them the permission to be performed and to feel sacred with the work they do. And that means a slow transition into the scene that like involve everyone on set. And so the PA and the sound mixer and the grip, everyone feel like they are holding the tempo safe for Jessie. You know, and she feels that. And that takes some maneuver for people in leadership, me including the producers, to allow no cynicism around the work these actors are doing. And so in a way, I will step on that stage. I have no cynicism towards my audience either.

1:06:34I just know that in this crazy busy world they're in, take three breaths together, it's nice. It's a nice feeling for them to transition into the journey they're going to. And so I feel very open-hearted when I'm there, when I'm on that stage. And that's the only North Star you can follow to make choices in your life. And it obviously really worked, and they responded to it. Okay, number two of three here. What about Hamnet are you proudest of? I mean, I guess there's—now we've talked about all these films. Each one of them are special in different ways. But what for you makes Hemnet something that I think rightly you're very proud of?

1:07:22Personally. Well, Ryan said to me at Taylor, right, Kugler, that he's like, I see you in this. You finally allowed yourself to be seen. I'm like, back at you. Sinners, I see you in there. You finally allowed yourself to be seen. you know I was he was like you're hiding behind other things they're beautiful films but this this is you lastly I wonder what you've made of the reactions to the film from Telluride on then there's the I think the audience award at Toronto and all these things but here's here's one that I'm going to quote back in front of you and also for listeners so they because this one I I thought was unlike anything I've ever heard somebody say about another film and I think you looked pretty stunned when this was said in Palm Springs recently.

1:08:12This is Jane Fonda, quote, introducing you guys for a group honor, quote, this is what film is supposed to be. This is a perfect film, in my opinion. It's ironic that a film about Shakespeare or about his family has little to do with words. It's beyond words. If you give yourself over to it, you can feel the scales falling off of your heart as you watch. You feel yourself being taken down to bedrock. It's a primal film that I believe could only have been made by a woman like Chloe. This was a great year for films. There are so many great films this year and so many great performances, but Hamnet is in a world of its own.

1:08:46Everyone in the theater where I was, like me, was sobbing. And I'm sure the others, like me, if you asked why, would not have been able to say. But I was taken somewhere that I have never been before. I feel so proud of being in the business of moviemaking when I see a film like Hamnet. And I'm so thrilled and honored to have been asked to come here and honor this movie, a perfect film and a great, great piece of art. Close quote. How did you process that? I think we were stunned and like moved to the bones. We were shaking when we went up there. We didn't know what to say. It was – but, you know, I understand what she's saying.

1:09:25and it is what I'm proud, very proud of Hamnet is the us as a collective the people that made this film created a container right, we were containing our actors and they were containing us, there are days where my costume designer were producing me having a difficult day, the whole community you know, I learned making Hamnet that leadership the strength of leadership comes from interdependence, not dominance. And this container for a group of people to get together, to hold each other's joy and pain, is how we survive as a species. And I think what Jane is saying and feeling is that cinema and storytellers have that responsibility to create these containers and to allow ourselves to come into this space.

1:10:22and when the light goes out, we don't hide our vulnerabilities. We don't put the mask on, no matter how risky it is. And we put ourselves, we make the commitment, and we have no cynicism around that. And then we hope that a container is created for two hours for our tribe to be able to feel safe enough to shed something. Well, I can't put it better than she did, so I won't try. But congratulations, and I'm so excited. I know we've got a lot more things coming from you, from Dracula, which you mentioned, to Buffy the Vampire Player, talk about range. We were redoing a sequel essentially to that.

1:11:14I heard maybe a play a version of our town that you might still play a play but anyway can't wait to see what's next and thank you so much for doing this thank you for asking great questions

1:11:36thanks for listening to awards chatter we really appreciate it and would really appreciate you taking just a minute more to subscribe to the podcast and to leave us a rating and review on your podcast app and to follow us on Twitter and Instagram where our handle is at awards chatter on those platforms we announce upcoming guests and provide details about special monster energy everybody knows white monster zero ultra that's the OG it kicked off this zero sugar energy drink thing but ultra is a whole line up now you've got strawberry dreams Blue Hawaiian, Sunrise, and Vice Guava. And they all bring the monster energy punch.

1:12:15So if you've been living in the white can, branch out. Ultra's got a flavor for every vibe. And every single one is zero sugar. Tap the banner to learn more. Thought Sweetgreen was just salads? Think again. There's a new way to do Sweetgreen. Wrapped and ready. These handheld wraps pack bold flavor and 40 plus grams of protein into something hearty, satisfying, and built for life on the go. From craveable sauces to satisfying textures, they're designed to keep you going without slowing you down. So put that fork down. Try the new wraps today in app or at order.sweetgreen.com. Available at participating locations only.

1:12:55...live recordings of the podcast that you can attend. Until next time, thanks again for tuning in.

From the publisher

The Chinese two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker reflects on her path to America and film, jumping from indie 'Nomadland' to Marvel's 'Eternals' and how her subsequent four-year "mid-life crisis" prepared her for her latest film, for which she is again double Oscar-nominated.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from Awards Chatter

All 70 episodes
Chloé Zhao - 'Hamnet'Awards Chatter · 1 h 13 min
Listen in VO