How easy is it to make a film about your own life? And how easy is it for those who play to follow the instructions of the person whose memories they bring to life in front of the camera? “It was awkward and emotional throughout the whole process. So much so that sometimes it seemed to me that there was a catharsis on the set, ”admits Seth Rogen in one of the behind-the-scenes videos of Fabelmans. The American actor, one of the lead writers on Steven Spielberg’s autobiography, was one of the people we recently met online in an interesting conversation about the film, which has already become one of the Oscar favorites.

However, the most difficult mission, at least in theory, was given to Gabriel La Belle, who plays Sammy, Spielberg’s alter ego, a young man who grew up in Arizona in the 1950s and 1960s and dreams of becoming a film director. “Obviously, making a movie inspired by the life of Steven Spielberg is both scary and wonderful at the same time. When they took me back to say they wanted me to audition for the part a second time, I couldn’t believe it. This movie was the biggest school in the world for me,” the 20-year-old actor tells us.

In Fabelmans, his character falls in love with the art of animation from a very early age and is passionate about making his own amateur films. “Stephen started making films when he was 6 years old with an 8mm camera and real film, gradually learning all the hands-on work, how to cut and glue different pieces and so on. No wonder he’s so proud of it. He made me learn the same thing, and then I understood the feeling of a sixteen year old, whose greatest desire is to have an editing machine. Kids today have iMovie, you make movies with just a few swipes of your fingers on your mobile phone, back then it was almost like creating a sculpture,” he adds.

However, the film’s most interesting and caring character is undoubtedly the mother, uniquely played by Michelle Williams. “Honestly, it was great because Steven had to give you so much information about her, there was so much preparation just for the first day of shooting. And then we continued to develop the character together; he kept bringing new experiences and memories to the surface, they were like gifts, they could open a scene or a moment, big or small. For example, she said: “I want you to wear her earrings here” or “she tilted her head like this when she wanted to ask something,” notes the American actress, who probably already has her fifth Oscar nomination in her pocket. “. .

He started making films when he was 6 years old, with an 8mm camera and real film, gradually learning all the hands-on work, how to cut and paste different parts and so on, reports Gabriel La Belle.

Opposite her, in an equally demanding role as a father, is Paul Deino, who talks about the relationship between the two parents and how it affected the young Spielberg: “We saw it in his other films, like the relationship and separation of his parents. At first I was nervous, but then I saw in his eyes that he looked vulnerable, and it relaxed me. I always thought it was hard for your dad to be the one who teaches you how to put sound on a film and then says, “You need to step back” and “Keep it all as a hobby.” His mother, on the other hand, was an artist, from where he inherited his dreams and great imagination. There is no doubt that there was tenderness and love between them, even if at times it hurt.

Williams adds: “Neil Young’s ‘only love can break your heart’ line keeps coming to me. Their love continued to exist, it just changed shape. Consider how these people loved each other until they died at the age of 103 and 96, respectively. In the film, we don’t even see the middle of their story.” She herself, in one of the most touching scenes of the film, aesthetically reminiscent of “Alien”, enchants the whole family with her dance in the village. “The script just said ‘Mitchie is dancing in front of the headlights’ and Steven let me do it the way I wanted. I was lucky because my last role was Gwen Verdon (she played a famous dancer in the television series Foss/Verdon), so I had a base to work with. Mitchie, of course, was not a professional dancer, but her movements looked like this. There is also a video where she dances at the age of 95. I remember rehearsing a lot to make it look natural.”

“Pure Magic”

What impressed him most, though, is Spielberg’s life story, probably Seth Rogen, who briefly left his favorite comedies behind to play one of the film’s most defining characters. “At first it was a little unexpected when he chose me for the role of Benny. I’m naturally a little skeptical about drama films because I also appreciate comedies, which I consider to be the most difficult genre of cinema. However, when you work with Steven, you have to do your best, you have to speak to yourself first. All this experience, of course, in many ways changed my attitude towards him. First of all, the fact that his entire life history was determined by his adoration of cinema from an early age. And then, if you imagine how many people would take a different path if their own passion was expressed in some other area. This is truly revealing and is due to his almost unique ability to use cinema as a means of expression. Pure magic.”