“Wildcat”, interview with director Ethan Hawke

October 2, 2023

Ethan Hawke, director of "Wildcat": "the film gave me the opportunity to wonder if human creativity is indeed an act of faith"

"Wildcat", interview with director Ethan Hawke Chiara Nicoletti

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“Maya decided to make a movie about Flannery O’Connor and I saw in that a possibility to talk about something I really wanted to talk about: is human creativity an act of faith?”. Director Ethan Hawke describes the spark to start his new film, “Wildcat“, premiered in Toronto International Film festival some weeks ago and now Special screening at the 17th Zurich film festival. The film sees Hawke’s daughter Maya Hawke in the role of American author Flannery O’Connor whose life and works is depicted by the actor/director also as a way to explore how creativity and spirituality can intersect.

Spiritual life

The film, as Hawke confirms, has connections with Paul Schrader‘s spiritual life’s film “First Reformed“ as both the protagonist played by Hawke and Flannery are struggling to understand God’s purpose. Hawke looks at O’Connor’s life in a pivotal moment for her, when she’s diagnosed with Lupus, the same disease that killed her father when she was only 15 years old.

Cinema as a team effort

As cinema is a team effort, Ethan Hawke explains how essential it was for him and the film to “share” it with his daughter Maya but also with the other actors such as Laura Linney, playing Regina, Flannery’s mom and Philip Ettinger, whom Hawke worked with on First Reformed.

The 4th chapter for the Before trilogy

Following up on what asking Richard Linklater in Venice ( during the “Hit Man“ interview) for a 4th chapter of the Before trilogy, Hawke points out that if they were to do another film with Jessie and Celine (Julie Delpy) it would be its own film, unique and separated from the trilogy that works and has to stay as it is now.

Plot

Ethan Hawke explores the life and art of American author Flannery O’Connor — played by his own daughter, Maya Hawke — in his latest interrogation of the artist’s way.

Written by: Chiara Nicoletti

Zurich Film Festival