PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Gwei Lun-mei, actress in focus of Foret Debussy.
From Blue Gate Crossing (2001) to Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014, Golden Bear winner at the Berlinale) by way of such films as Secret (2007), Gwei Lun-mei is without a doubt one of the greatest international actresses of this generation. She is honored at the inaugural edition with a special section that looks back on her career by showcasing a number of movies from her past alongside her latest work, Foret Debussy by Cheng Chui Kuo. This small and meaningful retrospective, named Actress in Focus, also showcases the extent of Gwei Lun-mei’s versatility, that covers all genres. We try to come up with an overview of her artistic persona, and she tells us what generally draws her to project, as well as future ambitions (she’d like to, for instance, work on a French film…and tells us why). We also ask a few questions about this latest performance of hers, an apparently difficult one indeed, in which she co-stars with her own mother, Yi-Ching Lu, and that required her to challenge her body as well as her mind.
Foret Debussy: deep in the barren mountains, a mother and a daughter live an isolated quiet life. The Daughter looks lean and fragile. She seems unreactive toward her surroundings, confining herself in her own wretched world. The Mother is like a guardian angel who always protects her and takes care of everything. Before living in seclusion, The Daughter was a pianist who lost her husband and son. The Mother decided to take her away and hid her in the mountains where no one could ever find them, believing it is the only possible way for her daughter to survive, Nevertheless, they have to face nothing but themselves ever since, as well as to confront the endless forest…