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Her mother is one of the greatest actresses in the world.
She, too, could be like that - but not sure she wanted to
She is the daughter of Tilda Swinton, but did not study acting and did not want to appear in front of a camera, until director Joanna Hogg cast her on her own initiative, allowing her to demonstrate that she is no less talented than her mother.
On the occasion of the screening of "Souvenir 2" at the Jerusalem Festival, meet Honor Swinton-Byrne, an actress who can not be forgotten
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Tilda Swinton
Jerusalem Festival
Avner Shavit, Cannes
Wednesday, 25 August 2021, 00:57
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(Photo: Cannes Film Festival)
When Joanna Hogg cast her semi-autobiographical film The Souvenir, she found the face suitable for all roles except the lead role.
Filming began, and the esteemed British director came under pressure, realizing that the answer was waiting all the time under the lamp - Honor Swinton-Byrne, the daughter of her childhood friend and longtime partner Tilda Swinton, whom she had already cast as the protagonist's mother.
Swinton Jr. did not study acting and had no ambitions in the field.
Aside from a tiny childhood role in "I Love," also on her mother's side, she never appeared on screen - but Hogg, who had known her all her life, was convinced she was the right choice, and convinced her as well.
The stakes paid off: "The Souvenir," which recently joined Netflix's catalog, came out about three years ago and has become one of the most acclaimed films of recent years, much thanks to the lead actress' display.
After the filming, Swinton-Byrne went on a mission as a volunteer teacher in Namibia.
Upon her return, she enrolled in psychology, but Hogg asked her to also star in "Souvenir 2," whose filming was completed before the corona began.
He waited on the shelf, and went on the world air a month ago at the Cannes Film Festival.
The next day (Friday) he will make his local debut at the Jerusalem Festival, in what will probably be the last chance to see him here on the big screen.
The "souvenir" was based on the diaries that Hogg wrote in her youth, as a privileged film student, who has a toxic relationship with a dubious man, and tries to formulate her personal and artistic identity.
"Souvenir 2" does continue from where the previous film left off, but it is very (very!) Important to clarify: this is not a sequel of the "Spider-Man 2" type.
It completely stands on its own, and you can and should watch it even if you have not seen the previous one.
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(Photo: GettyImages, Andreas Renz)
Swinton Jr. once again plays the character of Hogg, a young filmmaker who works in the early 1980s, trying to figure out what kind of movies she wants to make and what kind of life she wants to live. It ranges from scriptwriting, awkward sexual encounters, first dealing with grief and loss and also moments of transcendence - unlike the first film which was quite melancholy, "Souvenir 2" is much more optimistic.
There are those who have dreamed and learned all their lives to be actors, and also pretend to be good at it - but they are not. And there are the rarer cases, of those who have no ambitions or pretensions in the field, but are revealed as a gift to the big screen. Such is Swinton-Byrne, with her expressive face, capable of conveying emotion and producing dramatic power even without saying a word.
"Honor is just amazing," Hogg told me in an interview we held at the last Cannes Film Festival. "When the camera looks at it, you can tell what's going through its mind. It's an unusual feature. Even when it's static and still,So much is going on in her soul. "
The young actress receives similar and even bigger compliments in the media and on social media, but a conversation with her reveals that she has remained incredibly modest and cordial.
"Ego is a complex thing, I learn a lot about it in psychology classes," the young Scottish woman said in an interview after the film premiered on the Riviera.
"Seeing yourself on screen can lead to ego over-inflation. When I watched the movie yesterday, I told myself I could not see even one more frame of mine."
The camera loves you.
"I wish I could agree."
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(Photo: GettyImages, Gareth Kathermol)
Do you think studying psychology will improve you as an actress?
"I still do not see myself as an actress. I study psychology because I want to better understand those around me. I am an empathetic person, and that helps me with empathy."
From experience, empathy is a burden.
"Absolutely, it's a burden, but I'd rather feel too much than too little."
How do you feel about all the hot reactions to both movies?
"I hate fake modesty. I'm just saying, I'm glad if the film conveyed the wrong message. If a young woman watches the film and needs to get one thing from it, I'm glad you understand how important it is to be your own best friend. I'm sorry I have no better message, But that is a very important message in my opinion. "
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(Photo: GettyImages, Lionel Hahn)
Swinton-Byrne is similar in character to her mother, known as the nicest woman in the industry, but not at all physically similar to her. She is the joint daughter of her and playwright John Byrne. The family has five dogs, who appear in the film - one of them even won an award given annually at Cannes to the outstanding dog among those who starred in the festival films. "I love them so much, it was so much fun to play with them," she says.
And what was it like playing with your mother?
"It was funny, because her character is different from reality, and so is the relationship between us in the movie and in real life. In the movie, she's terribly reminds me of my grandmother, and it's funny."
What do you think you inherited from her?
"I hope you are everything. I hope I inherited the positivity from her, and the excitement of trying new things. I hope and believe that I inherited from her the emotional intelligence, which is much more important to me than intellectual intelligence."
You have a twin brother, how is your relationship?
"We are very different. He does not like to talk about emotions, and talking about emotions is my favorite activity. When there are horror movies on TV, he turns his gaze, but I love them. Horror movies are one of my favorite genres. I love graphic violence, Murder and blood - and the more shocking, the better. I would also like to play a psychopath, or at least the bad woman. I do not know where it comes from. I'm not afraid of people, so maybe that's why I'm not afraid of movies about people, no matter what "What scares me is the supernatural."
Social media also stresses you out?
"Besides seeing pictures of my friends' dogs, I try to be as active in it as possible. People want to have relationships like on Instagram, which is sickening. I also don't like TV. Commercials and reality shows affect you badly. I grew up without TV, and instead saw movies. It's content that tells a story, that takes you to another place, and you learn a lot from it. "
And how are you with university grades?
"The first time I got ninety, I was happy for five minutes, and then the day after I got seventy. I decided not to be interested in the grades I get, for better or worse. I don't think that's the right way to assess your qualities."
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(Photo: Tulip Media)
An interesting phenomenon at the last Cannes Film Festival was the proliferation of oral sex scenes in women, and "Souvenir 2" also has one, and more so when the protagonist is in a cycle - not something we've seen often on the big screen. Swinton-Byrne's partner in this scene is Charlie Heaton, known from "Strange Things." "It was funny to do this scene, Charlie and I managed it together," the actress says. "Joanna describes sex here as it really is to young people, with the awkward silences, quick decisions and regrets."
How did the closures go for you?
"I ate a lot, and learned to cook. I wish I would do more productive things. I also saw a lot of movies - at least a day movie. I did Hitchcock movie marathons."
What do you think Hitchcock's Top 3 is?
"First of all, 'Dial M for Murder'. Then also 'Psycho', 'Catch a Thief', 'Vertigo' .... it's hard to choose just three".
What are your plans for the future?
"I still do not believe I can play, but that does not mean I am not proud of my job. I am much more confident in myself now, but does that mean I will play in the future as well? One thing is for sure - I would like to work as a psychologist in prison."
"Souvenir 2" will be screened on Friday 26.8 at 17:00.
To order tickets, see the official website.
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