TORONTO— Rendition opened with a big bang at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 7. Screaming fans at the red carpet cheered actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, and Peter Saarsgard as they made their way into Roy Thompson Theatre in downtown Toronto.
Earlier that day, The Epoch Times had an opportunity to speak with the artists about the film and the important issues it tackles.
Gavin Hood (director) on filming: "It was a truly special experience, because of the way we shot, and because there were so many people with so many backgrounds. We shot in Morocco, we shot in L.A., we had very experienced actors such as Reese and Jake and we had [some] who had never played before."
Kelley Shane (screenwriter) on the theme: "I think, that as we try to protect ourselves, the government can be a little aggressive, they can push the envelope. I wanted to examine that."
Reese Witherspoon on preparing for her character: "It really helped to be working with Gavin on the character. He gave me a lot of direction on not playing the vulnerability of it, but playing the strength of it, which, I think really helped the character. I think, as a pregnant woman, there is an innate vulnerability to this character, but playing against it, was Gavin's direction, and I think it was really wise, because I feel like having a character face what she was up against was very true, very real."
Omar Mitwalli on his character's revelations: "Illusions of power. We all walk through life, believing certain things are true, believing that we have a right to privacy, and that is completely taken away from him. Everyone that has experienced torture sees that the myths we had about ourselves are stripped away, obliterated."
Jake Gyllenhaal on the main political theme: "The main political example is Peter saying to Meryl Streep's character: You're torturing one person that may be innocent, and she says, 'But we may be saving 5,000 people.' We want the film to generate the discussion about what is the right way to approach it."
Reese Witherspoon on taking the role: "My main motivation was to personalize some of these issues. I don't connect to them anymore. On television sometimes you don't find the stories about how families are affected."
Jake Gyllenhaal on the film being political: "I think movies in general are overtly political, whether or not they are stating something within politics. Politics are around us every day. Movies exist within politics; they move things forward or backward. For me, choosing something overtly political is not an issue. We just said there is heart here, we can feel it beating, and that's what anybody wants. To find a movie that has a heart in it."
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