American screenwriter, director, and producer George A. Romero, best known as the creator of cult horror films beginning with the legendary zombie movie Night of the Living Dead in 1968, is a guest at the 50th KVIFF where he presented a special screening of his own film The Crazies (1973). He also presented Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s The Tales of Hoffmann (1951) as part of the fest’s Out of the Past sidebar.
At the screening of The Crazies you said that when you made the film you were angry about Vietnam and it’s an angry film. A lot of the issues that came up in the movie still apply today don’t they?
I suppose things won’t change. And part of the anger back then was because they didn’t change. The sixties didn’t change anything. I think there’s just as much prejudice in the US; maybe it’s worse. I don’t see any solution. It would require such a change of everyone’s attitude. How can you do that? In North America, you have politicians who are all appealing to their bases. The religious right gives them strength. I just can’t believe that people buy it.
Is your work generally driven by a desire to make some sort of social commentary?
It is. I’ve spent my whole life walking that line – trying to do something but I can’t raise the money to do it if I pitch the real heart of the idea. So I pitch the entertaining side and that’s the only way I’ve been able to get films funded.
Read the whole interview of Gillian Purves and Šimon Šafránek in today's Festival Daily.
