Sebastian Stan blasted a reporter for his new film, psychological thriller A Different Man, at a press conference at the Berlin Film Festival when he used insensitive language to describe his face-damaged character.
The film tells the story of Edward (Sebastian Stan), who, after undergoing facial surgery, becomes obsessed with another man who plays her in a stage production based on her former life. For the first act of the film, Sebastian Stan Thus underwent a physical transformation to portray a distorted character.
As Variety reports, a reporter at Friday’s press conference asked:What do you think happens after this so-called monster, as it is called, transforms into this perfect human?“
“I have to ask you a little bit about the choice of words, because I think the reason the film is important is that we often don’t have the right vocabulary.“- answered the actor. “I think it’s a little more complicated, and obviously there are language barriers, but you know, “monsters” isn’t a word. And I think ultimately, it’s just interesting to hear that word, because I think that’s one of the things that the film says: we have these preconceptions and we’re not informed about how to understand this particular experience.“
“That’s one of the things I love about the movie.“, he continued. “It gives you a way of looking at things, and I hope that if you can have that same objective point of view when you’re watching, maybe you can sort out the initial instincts that you have and be able to—maybe they’re not the right ones.“
A transformation full of meaning
For the first act of the film, Sebastian Stan underwent a physical transformation to play the disfigured character – a two-hour process that allowed him to step into Edward’s shoes.
“When you go through such a massive transformation, it affects a lot of things: your physical condition, your behavior, everything else is somehow affected by it. Of course, this inevitably comes with an emotional lesson and a learning lesson. For me in particular, it was the opportunity to walk around New York as Edward and having a limited amount of exposure to the world was really educational for me in many ways.“
After its premiere at Sundance, where it was well received, different man It made its competition debut on Friday night at the Berlin Film Festival. Directed by Aaron Shimberg, the film also stars Renate Reinsve as Julie’s Revelation (in Chapter 12) and Adam Pearson, an actor who suffers from neurofibromatosis, an autosomal disorder from which the character plays. Sebastian Stan in the movie.
Adam Pearson, who was also at Sundance, explained how he managed to find common ground Sebastian Stan In considering their characters.
“That’s the approach we gave Sebastian“, he said. “You don’t know what it’s like to be distorted, but you know what it’s like to have no privacy and have your life constantly invaded. You become public property.’“
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The importance of representation
When asked about the importance of portraying disfigured people on screen, Adam Pearson discussed his two-month shoot in Manhattan and the importance of presenting your appearance to the world in order to normalize it.
“The more you see something, the more you get used to it. And slowly, but surely, this curiosity, and it is above all curiosity, is gradually disappearing.“, he said. “I found my coffee, I found my breakfast, and I found my bar. At first, you have to do a lot of work in the conversation to destigmatize people and adjust to this new experience they’re having. The more you do it, the easier it becomes and the less people see it.“
He added: “The only way to truly challenge people is to expose them gently and kindly. The more we can do that and have conversations like we’re having right now, the easier and more organic it will eventually become.“
Discover the actor’s words in their original language below:
First thoughts
Following the screening of the A24-produced film, here are the first thoughts from the community.
“A Different Man is my favorite movie of the year so far. Director Aaron Shimberg perfectly balances humor, wit, and drama, ultimately asking: Is art really real?
But that’s just one of the many themes in the film that turns the tables toward the end.“
“I still have to think about its specific ending, but overall I really enjoyed A Different Man. A beautiful balance of tones and delicate observations with a biting and intelligent plot. Sebastian Stan is a comedic tour de force and Adam Pearson an incredibly charismatic scene stealer.“
“A Different Man is an interesting genre hybrid. I like the horror of the first half more than the black comedy of the second, but the depiction of the horror of the exceptional in the face of an artistic fetishization of the ordinary is ambitious to say the least.“
“Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson impress in Berlinale competition film A Different Man. It’s a shame that the film didn’t go further into the crazy satirical genre that plagued it before…“
The release date of A Different Man is not yet known.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
