DGA members in New York and Los Angeles have had the opportunity to attend member screenings followed by Q&A sessions with the films' directors.
Clint Eastwood: Invictus
In the Los Angeles DGA Theatre on November 17, DGA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and two-time DGA Award-winning director Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby; Unforgiven) spoke about the challenges he faced during the making of his inspiring new film, Invictus. Based on actual events, the film takes us back to South Africa after the fall of apartheid, as newly elected President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) seeks to unite his racially and economically divided country by joining forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team (Matt Damon) to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship. Special Projects Committee Chair Jeremy Kagan (Crown Heights) served as moderator.
Tom Ford: A Single Man
Director Tom Ford spoke about the making of his feature film debut A Single Man with director Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon) in Los Angeles on November 15, and director Mary Harron (The Notorious Bettie Page) in New York on November 22. Based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood, and set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the drama looks at a pivotal day in the life of a British college professor (Colin Firth) who is struggling to find meaning after the sudden death of his long time partner.
John Hillcoat: The Road
Director John Hillcoat (The Proposition) discussed how he filmed Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Road with Special Projects Committee Chair Jeremy Kagan (Crown Heights) in Los Angeles on November 8, and director Billy Kent (The Oh in Ohio) in New York on November 18. The Road follows the adventures of a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) as they fight to survive against the elements and lawless cannibalistic bands that stalk the road they hope will lead them to safety in a post-apocalyptic America.
Rob Marshall: Nine
DGA Award-winning director Rob Marshall (Chicago) amused the audiences with behind-the-scenes tales about the making of his new feature film Nine. The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis as a famous film director struggling to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his agent, his mother, and his muse. Director Nora Ephron (Julie & Julia) served as moderator of the discussion in Los Angeles on November 15, and director Rob Minkoff (The Forbidden Kingdom) moderated the New York discussion on November 22.
Jason Reitman: Up in the Air
Director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking; Juno) discussed the making of his new film Up in the Air with director Bennett Miller (Capote) following the New York DGA screening on November 7, and director Curtis Hanson (In Her Shoes), after the screening in Los Angeles on November 23. The film stars George Clooney as a high-flying corporate downsizing expert forced to examine his life when his own job is threatened and he meets the woman of his dreams.
Jim Sheridan: Brothers
Director Jim Sheridan (In America; The Boxer) gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his process in making his latest feature Brothers after the New York screening on November 22. The drama examines a triangle that arises when a young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) falls in love with the wife (Natalie Portman) of his older brother (Tobey Maguire) after seeking to comfort her when her husband goes missing in Afghanistan, and the complications that ensue when the missing brother returns. Director Terry George (Reservation Road) served as moderator of the discussion.
