The Burning Plain - Guillermo Arriaga interview

MEXICAN filmmaker Guillermo Arriaga has made a name for himself as the writer of acclaimed, Oscar nominated movies Amores Perros, 21 Grams, The Three Burals of Melquiades Estrada and Babel. He makes his directorial debut with The Burning Plain, an emotional drama about loss and guilt starring Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. He talks to us about why he decided to make the leap from writer to director, why a one hour dinner date with Charlize turned into five hours and why he hopes to direct a lot more films in the future. He wa speaking at a UK round table...

Q. What made you decide to direct The Burning Plain as well as write the screenplay?

Guillermo Arriaga: I wasn’t the first choice of director for this movie. But when I finished writing it I thought it had things that I always wanted to tell. It’s like a synthesis of all my previous work, in terms of themes, obsessions and structure. I’ve always been obsessed with landscapes and this was a movie about landscapes. It’s based on the four elements – water, fire… So, I thought this was the one that I wanted to be my directorial debut. But I was the sixth director in line [smiles]. I had to really convince the producers that I was going to be the right guy to do it. They were like: “You know writers don’t make good directors… Let’s call this person, or that person.” But I insisted: “I’m the right one, believe me. I have it in my head perfectly.”

Q. But you’ve worked with some of the great directors, such as Alejandro González Iñárritu and Tommy Lee Jones. So you must have learned a lot from spending time with them?

Guillermo Arriaga: I know! And some great actresses and great directors of photography, too. So yes, that all went in my favour.

Q. The genesis of the story has been around for 25 years, I believe?

Guillermo Arriaga: The stories have been in my head for more than 15 years. I’ve not been writing it for 15 years, but I told my friends nine years ago that I had this story in my head that I wanted to tell. But it was the concept of the four elements that helped me to put it together, that helped to unify the stories that were independent from each other.

Q. It’s also very personal?

Guillermo Arriaga: All of the films I’ve written are very personal and based on personal experiences. This one comes from several places. Basically, it came from my hunting background. I’ve been going to the border since I was a kid, and I’ve been very close to this territory where things get mixed. I’ve felt the racism at the border, I’ve felt the tension between both cultures, and I’ve also felt the love stories between these cultures and the friendship between them. So, that’s where it comes from.

Q. Was Charlize Theron always a first choice for the lead role?

Guillermo Arriaga: Absolutely the first choice! Not only the first choice, but a dream. I think she’s one of the best actresses ever and just thinking of having her was a wild idea. I was like: “Imagine this with Charlize in the lead?” When the producers said: “OK, you want to direct this? Who will be your choice?” And when I said Charlize, they said I was on the right track.

Q. I believe you had a lunch together that was due to last an hour, but which lasted for five?

Guillermo Arriaga: Yes! It lasted five hours. We were having so much fun because she’s so much fun to be around. I had an immediate connection with her. She’s very easy going and so intelligent. I remember calling Tommy Lee Jones, who worked with her on In The Valley of Elah, and said: “Tommy, I’m going to have lunch with Charlize… what do you recommend I do?” And he said: “You’ve got to be intelligent because the woman is really intelligent! Don’t be dumb, Arriaga!” I also remember calling Tommy Lee from a shopping mall. I was in the car park and I called him to see how she was as a person. But he said: “She’s extremely nice and she’s not a diva.” He was absolutely right. She’s a wonderful woman, and an intelligent woman, and we spent five hours at that lunch. Part of the reason was that I told her: “I will not let you go until you say “yes” to this project!” [Laughs] I was asking: “More wine for the lady… more wine for the lady!”

Q. She also then agreed to serve as executive producer. I would imagine that helped with getting the film made as well?

Guillermo Arriaga: Yes, the moment she was involved the project got on wheels. From then on, everything was easier.

Q. Didn’t she suggest Kim Basinger as well for her role?

Guillermo Arriaga: Yes, Kim Basinger was also on board from the beginning. They called me and said: “Kim wants to be in the film, so let’s meet together.” But you have to build a personal relationship with your female actresses in this film, it was very important, so we met and Kim was also very warm. The moment she saw me, she hugged me.

Q. What was the most valuable lesson you learned being behind the camera? And the hardest?

Guillermo Arriaga: The hardest lesson is never trust the weather [laughs]. And the easiest is to surround yourself by the best and you’ll be OK. And don’t be afraid of them, or their reputations. But also listen to them. If I surround myself with the best, I want to listen to them, I want to have dialogue with them, I want to be confronted by them, I want to be questioned by them, I want to use their experience, and I want to recognise that I make mistakes and sometimes I really don’t know what to do.

So, I have to lean on them and ask them what I should do. I don’t have all the answers. Just yesterday, Charlize and her partner were telling me that the directors they hate the most are the ones that think they have all the answers… because they don’t usually have them. It’s very nice when a director says: “I don’t know.” There’s a great line by Robert Altman where an actress apparently said to him: “What should I do?” And he replied: “I don’t know… surprise me!”

Q. Was there anything that Charlize did that surprised you?

Guillermo Arriaga: All the time. And I hope that I surprised her also.

Q. Has it whet your appetite for directing further films?

Guillermo Arriaga: My appetite is huge. I want to direct all day! I want to direct in a way that I can have my family close. It was great on The Burning Plain that I could have my wife and my kids there. The two of them were on set with the headphones on. You feel protected by the. My daughter went to the set and lived with me for almost a month and a half and she was like my very, very personal assistant.

Q. Does she want to follow in your footsteps maybe?

Guillermo Arriaga: I don’t know… maybe. She says that she wants to, but I have to convince her to do something serious with her life like being a doctor or something [laughs]. But I’d also be very proud if she wants to follow in my footsteps.

Q. Do you have any more projects lined up. And will you always be looking to write the material that you direct?

Guillermo Arriaga: Right now, I’m writing to produce but have someone else direct. But certainly you will see me again directing… I hope. I hope that people like this movie.