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Babel Press Conference
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 The question refers to Brad. You're probably one of the most photographed faces we have in the world. For lack of a better word-I don't know how to put this differently-you're an actor as opposed to an icon. And an icon has to be handled and perhaps directed differently? I don't know. Was it easy for you, Brad, to forget about Brad Pitt? And the question was set out really: as Brad Pitt, comma, the actor?Brad Pitt
Every film, you know, you approach it that way. I don't participate much in that other thing. I can't say. But as far as directing, I think Alejandro would have to answer that one!
Alejandro González Iñárritu
No! Well, sometimes - but no! I …. Let me tell you that in this town that we shot, as I told you, it's a town that didn't have electricity, because then we pooled together some money out of all the crew, and now they have electricity. Unfortunately, now it's full antennas and TVs and it's terrible! But it's a town that Brad could walk easily without being recognised. You know what I mean, some people didn't know who he was. And that was great, because we were really surrounded by that atmosphere of people that were really pure and really what - you know, they weren't there for any other reason than just to be helpful to him. And I think I felt-I don't know if it was unwise-but I think that was a very relaxing kind of atmosphere. Right!
Brad Pitt
Yeah. Fair to say it was actually very freeing in that sense, where you just concentrate on the work.
Alejandro González Iñárritu
And I felt that Brad was always completely submerged, you know, connect with the character every day. He never, never was anything but I felt different from direct Brad, that could direct the …. of the piece. I mean, we were really… You know, there's no distractions there, there's nothing. We were really working every day. It was very tough conditions, very tense moments, very uncomfortable. Not a fancy shooting. No campers, no nothing! It was really…
Brad Pitt
No Winnebago (Huh?) No Winnebago?
Alejandro González Iñárritu
With a bagel?! {laughter}
Brad Pitt
No Winnebago!
Man
It's after his book!
Alejandro González Iñárritu
But we were very far from the fancy one that you're playing in LA and New York, you know what I mean! We were under tough conditions. And I felt that all of us who were there, we were working. And it was not aimed anything but what it…
Brad Pitt
But me, I appreciate that. I like - I mean… Well, I like an adventure, I like to get out into another area in some place I haven't spent a lot of time. It's one of the perks that we get to experience, is really get under the skin of a place. And so I'm not going to… I'll take it because of that.
Mr. Alejandro, you come from Mexico and your experience in London put you on the international map, then you went and made the film 21 grams in the States and now he sort of has emigrated, or you live now in the United States. Now, the character that Brad portrays is of an American in Morocco. She, Adriana, plays an illegal immigrant. Richard is completely in her enclosed world. Would it be a stretch to think that had you not become, quote/unquote, an `exile' he would not have come up with approval? If he did not feel in a way an exile, you would not have come up with approval?
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Yeah, I think that the reason that I … previously make this film, that here that I have first, was I think triggered by the fact that I'm myself exile, I will say, five years ago. And the Third World see this and maybe in a First World country, it's a very complex relation. A great one that has given me a lot of perspective, a lot of things that I have to do and sacrifice myself and my country; but at the same time has triggered in me a lot of emotions. And traveling around the world has been just getting me a lot of questions, and I felt that I have to - I will never conceive this idea of making this film without that. But probably the next few years will not even see this film at all. This idea came from that period that I'm living now. And that was true.
 Question for Brad Pitt. And you alluded to it earlier, but I would like some elaboration. Obviously, you're part of a true ensemble; this is not a Brad Pitt vehicle. And I'm wondering if there's a kind of freedom in that for you as an actor. And then the second part of the question is if you have any thoughts about the politics of the film vis-à-vis an American's point of view. Because this is a very tough portrait of the sense of entitlement of Americans abroad. And it's a very complex kind of question that's posed in the film and complex answers. So.Brad Pitt
Right. Well, first of all, being part of an ensemble is always more fun. You're not scared to film. But the real joy was knowing that I can just go in and concentrate on a particular corner, a particular part of this film. And that it wasn't just about - it wasn't going to be about my story, and it's going to be about all the stories and the cumulative effect of once they are combined. And so it was great fun for me to concentrate on just our sections. Alejandro and company went ahead and shot for the rest of the year. We started in the spring. And in fact I finally met up with you again in …. We both brought the globe from different directions. And to see the thing put together was an exciting thing that you'll get, because you know the story inside and out. So it's rare that you get surprised by a film you've been working on, because you know too much. So that I enjoyed very much.
I think… I mean, I think there's many political aspects to this film beyond what you'd call America's self-entitlement. But I think it's a bigger issue of misunderstandings, paranoia, protectionism, which the film portrays with the relationships of all the people, and the jumping to conclusions. And what is it about - what is announced as human but that leads us down this path of just really trying to understand the other. So I think it speaks beyond America on these issues; I think it speaks about the world. And that's what drew me to the film. That's what drew me to what Alejandro was after and made me want to be a part of it.
My name is Mara Sava. I'm from Omni Television, Japanese programme in Shinto. I have a question to both Kôji and Rinko. She said that one thing for sure is that it was right to be in a film that I like, in a correct film! And I know that it will be a power for me to have more confidence in actor...
Rinko Kikuchi
Well, I don't know what my future is-I can't imagine! But one thing Alejandro was kind enough to tell me, that, you know, I was very keen to learn the …. And I really would like to keep on that attitude of any time at all that Alejandro wants to play in the future: be responsible, be concentrated, be obsessed and go on!
TV and BBC Radio. Brad, I'm wondering if this is an international project and you work with international stars. Do you have any future plans to work on projects where you can work with actors from different countries? And what was the experience like for yourself?
Brad Pitt
I don't have anything specifically that I'll be working on other than on a production level, on a … level, where we're working on a few pieces that will take place abroad. One specifically: we're going to India in a month, I believe, to start filming on a project over there. But yes, for me, you know, I consider myself more a citizen of the world. And for me, I have great pride to just sit up here with all the people who I've been involved with, and know that we all came together. See, this is - I'm sitting here, like this is in different languages, and I find it exciting. But to be a part in a film that was able to do that, was able to bring it all together in that way, gives me great pride. And yes, I hope I do something like that again.
Mr. Pitt, obviously this is a very, very important movie. I think it will be for many years to come. Your children will eventually see this movie and other movies that you make. How important is that as a choice of the movies that you make?
Brad Pitt
Oh my God, the cameras! {laughter} But that's a great question. That's exactly my thoughts now these days: “Oh my God, what did I do? What are they going to see?” from films from the past. I start making that list! But yeah, it's definitely part of what I'll approach in the future. I'll try to be a little bit more mature about my decisions, and…! But at this point I'll be very proud to see what they'll say … and really understand it.
Mr. Pitt, watching this film I couldn't help but, you know, feel sometimes an empathy. Because there have been moments in our lives when tragically something happened in your own back yard, the helplessness you feel, “How quick can I get attention?” I mean, here we see in your case with your Cate character that you're in the middle of what you consider nowhere. And what do you do? Now, you travel all over the world, you've been doing a lot of work in Africa, you recently had your baby in Namibia. And I was just wondering if you can answer totally, just talk a little bit about the places that you've been. Have you ever felt that hopelessness? I mean, how secure do you feel, knowing that if you're in other places, where you can get help?
Brad Pitt
Particularly with the film, I mentioned there's a great set-up in that, I mean, we're so comfortable and used to service. We have anything at our fingertips and a multitude of choices at our fingertips. So to go into a point and automatically assume that you were not predisposed to think that we might be laughing in some areas; we might need something. Because we're just so used to it all being there. So that was just a fantastic set-up for the film. What was the second part of your question?
Just for you, because you travel, you've done a lot of charity work and you have had recently having the baby there. Can you just talk to me a bit about your own sense of confidence, when you're traveling abroad? I mean, have you ever been a little nervous? Have there been moments where, God forbid, something happened?
Brad Pitt
No, but it becomes… You know, being a father now becomes-which we talked a lot about-is it becomes your big worry. It becomes the one thing that keeps you up at night: how can you protect your children? So it's less about yourself, and it's more about the kids. So we have to make other preparations to make sure we're being responsible and smart in some of these areas that we're going to, that we are prepared. Because, as you say, not everyone has the luxurious healthcare that we have and the opportunity for assistance in that way.
Sir, my question's for Mr. Iñárritu I have a two-part question, actually. The first question is: at the end of the movie in the credits is dedicated to your children. I was wondering what you hope yours get out of this movie as a message about parents and of children. And also, Mr. Pitt, as a new father, what do you hope the movie says about parents and children and about yourself in your own relationship with your children?
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Well, I don't really dedicate my films to family members, the first. And only sort of one dedication. You see, it's a song that my wife and I love and my kids. And that's why I dedicate that. The second one I dedicate to my wife, only one …. on very personal subject matter. That's why we got known. And I dedicate that to Maria-Laria, my wife. The third one, which is Babel, which I try to be the most hopeful of the three of them, I owe that film to my kids. The one that I like is this Maria-Laria. And I dedicate that film to them because they really helped my wife and I go through that period, and they, as I mentioned, they are the bright lights in my life. The dark night of any kind. And I owe them that.
And I think for me it's very important to dedicate such an intense and painful process, for me at least. I don't enjoy making films! I don't know if it would be like that with you. For me it's so painful. And it takes me so much that I'd better have somebody in mind that is very important that I can really dedicate all that work for. It's true! {laughs} And I know how people value…. I talk to him. I don't know how Adriana either! And you know, Brad, I made a … of people I actually like, 76, right, right! He was making it clean every morning in very, very bitter weather.
And Adriana, you know! Five people were in the hospital. They came in there. It's the desert. And Adriana was so grey that she was even busier: She said, “Alejandro, I don't want to go!” and I said, “You have to go through it or you will faint.” No. Just give me one hour.” She went to the camper, she take a shower-she didn't wash her face because she was with makeup, just in order to not delay the production. And then she come out and we keep shooting, carrying a girl for three hours. And that's the kind of actress that she is. And I thought that she thought… You know, if it had been me who doesn't have that chance to take a shower and go through …. yourselves, why, Amelia will have it. That's the kind of actress she is. You know, “Sorry, I extend myself.” But that's my answer!
Brad Pitt
All right, from me, just that-and I hope they know this much, long before they … know, just that the most important thing in a parent's life, and certainly the most important thing in my life.
Hi, Brad. Hal Hassage from Lifestyles. I'm also a new parent, so now when I see the film (Congratulations!)-thank you! It really rocked my sensibility, because I always, you know... I guess my question's - `cos you've answered all of these so eloquently, most of my question's already…
Brad Pitt
That's… That's the picture that's going to end up when I have a breakdown or something! That's one of them, this moment! So you'll all know when you see that photo! It'll be the record for a GUI later! They're grateful……! You can start counting!
Being submersed in the environment (I don't know how long production was) but as an actor, I mean, it's such a difficult film. As a viewer I had happy dreams that night, but it was really difficult for me. But as an actor who is on a set portraying this character who is under a tremendous amount of stress, how did you remove yourself? Because you're still in the environment, you're still in Morocco. How did you remove yourself from your character?
Brad Pitt
I never… When they say, “Wrap!” - they got done for the day! Yeah, you get to rest. It's getting back into it in the morning that's more difficult than you need to wrap up. But it was… You know, I …. stop for five weeks, probably. And to maintain that high level of anxiety, I did not understand, going into it, how difficult it would be to maintain that on an actor level, you know, if acting's difficult. But you know what I'm saying.
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Destination London 
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