Julie Taymor's background is in theatrical directing and design. She is becoming more involved in the film world, though. Her directorial debut was the bloody Shakespeare adaptation "Titus", and she recently directed "Frida", starring Salma Hayek as eponymous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
With Salma Hayek having already put in six years of work, didn't you feel the important decisions had already been made when you joined the project, and that you'd be going through the motions for somebody's vision?
No, I'm not that kind of director. They came to me for a specific reason. I think she [Hayek] was constantly feeling the screenplay never quite got to where it should have. I think Salma was extremely relieved when I came on board. I think she was happy that a woman was directing. I've been directing for 35 years for theatre and finally some film, but this is the first time where I felt being a woman was an asset, where it made a difference. Directing Salma in something as personal as this, it's really dealing with female issues. What is it not to have a child? What kind of nudity would we do?
What did you add to the story that wasn't there before?
One of the major contributions I brought to the screenplay was the evolution of the paintings. That wasn't in the original screenplay. How do you show how an artist thinks? How a painting comes to life. That is a very difficult thing to do.
How do you make such a movie on a budget of $12 million?
Because we shot it in Mexico, every actor was on a minimum salary, we shot it in ten weeks - six-day weeks, 15-20 hours a day. It's the last time I'll ever do that, but it was very exciting and enjoyable to work in Mexico. Ninety-five per cent of the crew was Mexican - that makes it cheaper.
How did Mexico take to an American directing a Mexican story?
There was a very large support in Mexico for the movie, and it was interesting because I'm a gringo. But they knew my theatre work and even though I'm an American, I'm not a Hollywood director, so I think there was a sense of relief. They knew it could have been a Mexican director, but the issue is, "Well, I'm a woman. Which is better?!" [laughs] Frida Kahlo was part German, so it's all nonsense. These are people of the world.
