Do you think you can create change through movies?
I think it’s a basic question to what degree you can change society with art. I mean, I doubt very much that you can. Whether one book or one film might serve the purpose of changing the world. But I believe very strongly that without art the world would be poorer.
Your films often make people change their way of perceiving things. Like the last scene of Caché — viewers spent the whole end of the film studying a seemingly uninteresting image to see what was going on.
If someone becomes a bit more attentive as a result of watching a film, I think you have already achieved quite a bit.
Tell me it’s not true that Ron Howard is remaking that film for Hollywood.
He announced his interest in doing the film. But it’ll become a different film, for sure. They asked me too if I wanted to do it, but I said, “No, it doesn’t interest me at all.” You would have to adapt it much more to US conditions; you would have to find a comparable case and a historical precedent. I’m unable to do that; I’m not familiar enough with American society. Besides, there’s no reason to remake Caché — it was never meant for an American audience, it was meant for a European audience. Whereas, with Funny Games, it was remade for the reason I told you before.
But don’t you think another American director would be better suited to remake Caché?
I have no interest in who’s going to remake it. It hasn’t been bought yet, we just have an option on it. Who may or may not ultimately buy it, I have no opinion on it, because it won’t be my film. It might be quite amusing, though — you know, you have the original then and you can compare it to whoever makes the remake.
Maybe it’ll have a happy ending?
Could be.
But then, it already has a happy ending.
At least they don’t all get murdered.
With Funny Games, however, you are making a movie criticizing Hollywood, and therefore Hollywood subverts itself.
Yeah, I hope.
What does Hollywood get out of the deal?
I would think it’s the classic motive that they make money on it.
You don’t think they brought you out to Hollywood to corrupt you?
I am not famous enough for this.
Well, when this movie comes out . . .
We’ll see. We’ll see.
