Between Shakespeare and Agatha Christie, between The Last Act , where he gives life to the old Bardo, and the imminent Death on the Nile , in which he returns to the incisive and manic Poirot, Artemis Fowl. Who? «I asked myself that same question. My 10 and 11 year old nephews answered it. As soon as they found out he was going to adapt his favorite novels, his love for me grew, "says Kenneth Branagh (Belfast, 1960) on the other side of Zoom and, after a slight dramatic pause, he starts laughing. Maybe just smile. Indeed, the hero created by Eoin Colfer,a kind of teenage James Bond in the fantastic realm of Neverland, he lives his on-screen adaptation by a motley, dense and more than just baroque Disney production. The film that should have been released last summer does so now, since Friday the 12th, on the platform, Disney + . “Then the Disney acquisition of Fox happened and everything was delayed. And then the pandemic and ... ».

Q. Let's start there, because of the pandemic. How did it happen?

R. Reading, writing and working from a distance in Death on the Nile . It has been a drama for many people, no doubt, but honestly for me it has been a very productive period.

Q. Do you think that such an event will make us change, that we rethink our way of being in the world?

A. I honestly think so. I don't think we are going through a great revolution, but all this time has been a period of reflection that has served to reconnect perhaps with people whom we had forgotten. Or simply to appreciate what family is worth, or health, or even art. If we look a little, confinement is a good metaphor, an extreme metaphor if you like, but a metaphor for life itself. Many people have suddenly realized how much they need art, cinema and culture to get out of confinement, to understand it, to relieve pain.

Q. I wonder if the very value of cinema will change. His movie, originally intended for a theatrical release, will premiere on Disney + ...

A. I am convinced that we will return to the cinema with a new desire; a more intense desire. I imagine that at first it will be strange to see a movie keeping the social distance, but that will make the adventure more interesting. As for Artemis Fowl, I consider it appropriate that she be seen at home, with the family, because that is what she was designed for. What's more, now that things have happened as they have happened, I think it is their natural place.

Q. How does one move from the world of Shakespeare to that of a children's best seller without suffering from syncope?

A. Everything is more natural than it seems. When I decided to do The Last Act I took it as an act of gratitude. The tape is a miniature in which I bring Shakespeare to life. It is a way of thanking you. It is an exercise in truth, in sincerity. I owe him everything. On the other hand, a movie riddled with special effects is a challenge. You have to make it seem plausible, that it is true in the middle of so much spectacle. Maybe that's the connection. Later, I learned that working with children is basically working with the truth. They never act like the older ones do. They do what they have to do and do not accept orders. And that always carries a degree of truth to which a professional can only aspire. The closer you get to a child's acting, the better actor you are.

Q. Another connection between your more independent and personal works and the great blockbusters is the omnipresence of Judi Dench in her cinema ...

R. She was 26 years old when I met her and she decided to selflessly collaborate in our function of Much noise and few nuts . Since then, their loyalty and companionship have been unwavering. I have learned as much from her as from Shakespeare. And I thank you for showing the same interest in me and my work when I was a student as I do right now. She is always the same and the rest of us get older.

Q. Did you ever dream of seeing yourself in a position of privilege and recognition like the one you now enjoy both artistically and commercially?

A. Never, never. I come from a humble family in a humble neighborhood in Belfast, a place where we all knew each other. I remember taking my mother to a tribute to Jack Lemmon once. She looked at me and said, "There is a long way from Belfast to here." I think that phrase sums up all my thanks and my entire career.

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