Michael Cera and Sebastián Silva – Magic Magic 66th Cannes Film Festival
Interview by Shawn Lukaszewicz
Independent Film Quarterly’s Shawn Michael Lukaszewicz touched base with Director Sebastián Silva and Actor Michael Cera during the 66th Cannes Film Festival about their most recent film together Magic Magic.
IFQ: Michael, how was your experience shooting in Chile?
Michael Cera: I showed up in Chile, what was supposed to be one month early. We were supposedly going to start in July for the movie, so I showed up in June to practice my Spanish, and I lived with Sebastian’s family. I ended up staying in Chile for three months while we were waiting for financing to come through. So that was an amazing time, three months with Sebastian’s family, learning Spanish, learning Chile and just having fun. It was a really nice gift. And then working on the movie was a whole other experience. At that point, we had sort of lost hope and maybe felt like we would never make it. And when we were finally making it, it was such a pleasure.
IFQ: This is the third time you two have worked together. How is your relationship and connection? Is it more actor and director, or is it more like a friendship?
Sebastián Silva: It’s more like a friendship.
Michael: Yeah, it’s like umm…
Sebastian: [Laughs.] No, more actor and director. It’s actually strictly professional.
Michael: Yeah, there’s a word for it. It’s like a Psychotherapeutic Relationship.
IFQ: Michael, majority of the time your acting is in English. Was it harder acting while speaking Spanish?
Michael: It was harder. Actually, when I was acting in Spanish we were like this is really not working.
Sebastian: It was so strange because Michael had developed really good Spanish. It was Chilean slang that Michael was speaking fluently with all of my brothers. We would get together with friends and Michael would be participating and speaking Spanish; and then I guess in the movie Michael got a little bit more self-conscious.
Michael: Well, I think it was because I was playing such a specific character; when I went to do it in Spanish I was more focused on what I was saying rather than how to do it in character. So that was kind of hard to consider all of it at once. But I think Sebastian just pushed me into it. Sebastian just had to say to me, “It’s really not good; it sounds bad.” During a lot of scenes Sebastian would try and convince me to do it in English. We would stop shooting them in Spanish and I was like “Yeah, but I learned Spanish…”
Sebastian: For this…
Michael: For this moment I need to get my money’s worth.
IFQ: Michael, why do you enjoy working with Sebastian? How did you guys meet?
Michael: I saw Sebastian’s movie The Maid, and then we met in Los Angeles and we got along immediately. He told me he thought I was manageable, like crazy but to the point where he could keep me under control. I said, “Thank you, no one has ever said that to me,” and things happened pretty naturally. Sebastian sent me the script, and this was the script that seemed to make the most sense for us to collaborate on and there was a part that was just perfect for me to play.
IFQ: Do you guys plan on doing more comedies together?
Sebastian: This movie is kind of a comedy. We made another movie right before Magic Magic called Crystal Fairy. We showed it at Sundance. It’s pretty much a straight up comedy. No doubt about it. We won an award at Sundance for Crystal Fairy.
IFQ: So you don’t see Magic Magic as a horror film? It’s a comedy?
Sebastian: No, I don’t consider Magic Magic a horror movie. If I had to define Magic Magic it would be a psychological thriller just by definition with a definite mix of humor. To have audiences laughing while witnessing such a horrifying sad event is really perverse.
Michael: There’s such a delicate balance. It’s very tragic obviously, but I always did read it like we were making something that at least in one way was a comedy.
Sebastian: That I guess is the craziest side of you because I remember that Michael really always thought that Magic Magic was kind of like a straight up comedy. And I’m like, no man.
Michael: I think that what was maybe funny to me was the intention to create this mood. So I knew that the process would be funny in a way; except Juno obviously had an extreme time.
IFQ: Sebastian, did your family get involved with the movie?
Sebastian: My brother is in it. He has been involved in three of my movies. In Crystal Fairy, two of my other brothers were in it. I was in it as well. There’s a lot of Silva blood throughout my movies. My mom got to share a lot of down time with Michael. Mostly my brothers though. I can boss them around and under pay them.
IFQ: Michael, what’s the film you get most recognized and quoted for?
Michael: Superbad I guess. People yell McLovin at me. Which is not the character I play.
IFQ: What was the craziest experience (in a good way) you had in Chile?
Michael: I got mugged, in a good way. They didn’t hurt me. I was borrowing Sebastian’s mothers old cell phone just to have contact with people…
IFQ: Like a flip phone?
Michael: Not even – it was before flip phones. It was the night of a big soccer game in Chile, and I was walking alone in the street and I shouldn’t have been and I was taking pictures of dogs in the street.
Sebastian: There are a lot of stray dogs in the streets. There’s billions.
Michael: There are dogs everywhere in the streets. So I just look like an asshole and before I knew it there was a circle of guys around me putting their hands in my pockets. Like eight guys and there was no one else around, and I thought wow I’m about to get really hurt. Luckily, they didn’t hurt me and I reacted and pushed them away. Then one guy went “tranquilo” calm down. I started walking away, and the guy starts walking with me and being really casual like, “Hey what are you doing in Chile?” Like that didn’t just happen. We were talking for 30 seconds and I’m like, “OK goodnight.” Then he was like, “Hey, do you have the time?” And I knew what he was going to do, and I wanted to see him do it. So I pull out the phone “Yeah it’s 1:15,” and he grabs the phone and we wrestled for a bit and he ran off with the phone and that was it.
IFQ: Do you think they knew who you were?
Michael: No, I think they just saw a big target sign. I’m taking pictures of dogs, and have a coat with big pockets… it was promising.
Sebastian: [Laughs.] Inviting. It’s like a piñata walking down the street; you just want to hit it.
Michael: [Laughs.] Story of my life.
IFQ: Sebastian, do you know what your next project is?
Sebastian: Yeah, my next movie that I’m planning is a very small movie. Very spontaneous and will be shot in two weeks called Nasty Baby. I’m the main actor and I’ve never acted before. My brothers are going to be in it, and two other very well-known American artists.
IFQ: Sebastian, so with this next project Nasty Baby you will be directing and acting in it. How do think it will go?
Sebastian: I think it could be a complete disaster, but I’m ready to fail. I think it’s fun to put yourself into a situation where you can fuck up so badly. And be criticized and destroyed in every possible blog on the Internet. I’m ready to be torn apart. Worse possible scenario there will be another bad movie out there. So many. There’s no reason to be fearful.
IFQ: How’s your experience been here at the Cannes Film Festival?
Michael: We got in yesterday and had a weird night trying to feel out what goes on here; first time for both of us in Cannes.
IFQ: Any advice for any new, young filmmakers and kids in film school out there?
Sebastian: Look for stories within. Don’t try and make the next gangster movie because it’s going to suck. Stop thinking about cars chasing each other or guns because they don’t know that world so its always going to come out stupid. So I say just make a movie about your sister or grandmother. Learn how to laugh at yourself and be ready for failure.