|
|
|
March 1998. ‘Snow Falling On Cedars’. The first day filming in “Nels’ Apartment”, in Nelson, British Columbia. During my private rehearsal with Max before showing the crew how I want to shoot it, I’m keen to capture the sense of Nels making the decision to visit his client in the prison cell during the snowstorm. April 1998. Filming on the courtroom set for ‘Snow Falling On Cedars’ in Vancouver, with Youki Kudoh, as ‘Hatsue’ in the witness box. I’m struck by her poise and focus between takes – how she identifies a very specific emotion and holds it exquisitely. March 1998. On location for ‘Snow Falling On Cedars’ in British Columbia, with Ethan Hawke and his stand-in/double – the background figure. Most actors have a stand-in for the tedious lighting and camera set-ups. They can also double for the star on camera in long-shots. As it happens, Ethan insists on doing most of these himself, an indicator of his serious intent as a performer. I love the ‘doppelganger’ effect of the figures in the snowscape. December 1997. Photographing young Reeve Carney at Santa Monica, as a test of his nerve with a camera at close quarters – something I do particularly with young actors (he plays Ethan Hawke as a boy in ‘Snow Falling On Cedars’). Reeve is actually a blues guitar prodigy, acquiring a growing reputation in musical circles in L.A. April 1998. David Guterson, author of the novel, visits the set of ‘Snow Falling On Cedars’ with two of his sons, Henry and Taylor. The visit makes such an impact on Taylor that he decides on a future in filmmaking, enrolling in a course on completing high school. I’m struck by the eloquent language of DNA in the three watching faces. September 2001. As we meet again in an L.A. hotel room doing press interviews on ‘Hearts In Atlantis’, I realise I’ve not taken any shots of Anthony Hopkins (my greatest regret, among many, was not capturing Gielgud) and he willingly agrees, fully knowing that I plan to rip and paste him! April 1987. Early conversations with David Helfgott are all conducted with him playing the piano. Music is his constant comfort and inspiration, and he’s able to carry out a monologue of reminiscence in tandem with his playing. This collage is from our earliest sessions together, as I start to gather the information which forms the basis of the ‘Shine’ story. May 1995. Centre-piece of the ‘Shine’ story is David’s performance of Rachmaninov’s 3rd Piano Concerto at the Royal College of Music, just prior to his breakdown. With all the wide shots of the concert and orchestra filmed in London, it leaves these close shots on Noah Taylor to be done in Adelaide. Noah’s rather wary of the piano, but I remind him it’s just a stunt : we’ll see him on the motorbike as it were, revving the engine, starting off – but the someone else will ‘do the jump’! October 1996. On the road to the Oscars (though we didn’t know it then) – Geoffrey Rush and I do an extensive regional press tour of the U.S. Here in a hotel-room in Chicago Geoffrey plays ‘air piano’ for journalists, demonstrating his breathtaking on-screen technique as David Helfgott. After all, I did cast him for his hands (knowing he could act a bit as well!). May 1998. The first of two occasions that David Bromley paints my portrait for the Archibald competition – here he and Tori are in his studio out the back of their Tin Cat Café, Adelaide. July 2000. My younger son Jethro takes up playing bass with such a passion, it takes him to England to make his own instrument by hand. He continues to study, as well as rehearsing with his own band. Here he is practising at our beach house. July 2000. In London casting ‘Hearts In Atlantis’, I go to visit a hero of mine, Sir Wilfred Thesiger, aged 91 in his retirement home in Surrey. A lifetime of journeys, living among tribal Bedu, Samburu and Afghanis are etched in that magnificent face and hands. The spiritual descendant of Burton and Lawrence, Thesiger here searches in his ‘aide-memoir’ for the name of an actor who is to perform some readings from his great travel writings. It turns out to be Ralph Fiennes. | Exhibition Information | View Photographs | View Collages | Photograph Descriptions | Collage Descriptions | Contact Us | Return Home | |
||