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Renowned Hollywood filmmaker Steven Soderbergh brought his new film, The Christophers, to the Doha Film Festival on Saturday. Before its screening, he had a detailed talk with select members of the media, sharing his views on cinema, filmmaking and storytelling. 

Speaking about his recent film, the Ocean’s Eleven director said when he started this project, he had this idea that “when we are gone, we live on in the memories of other people that we worked with, whether friends or family, and the importance of the stories. What kind of stories do you want to recreate as a person and as an artist? That’s what I was thinking about when we were making this film.” 

When asked which kind of cinema he would prefer, social or commercial, Soderbergh said he just looked at the stories when venturing into making any film. According to him, there are two kinds of films — films in which you portray the world the way you wish it was and films in which you portray the world as it actually is. “I think both of these forms are valid.” 

Sharing his views on film festivals, he said, “In the 21st century there are so many formats for storytelling that cinema has to fight to maintain its place and film festivals are one of the ways in which the cinema continues to reach people. 

“My career started at a film festival but I hope it does not end here,“ he said to laughter from his audience. “Film festivals are important because if a group of people gather in a room and watch one thing together, it is a very special experience and one I would always support and I am very happy to be part of this show.” He hoped that Doha Film Festival would continue in the future, given the importance of cinema as a form of storytelling.

Soderbergh called the process of artistes coming together from different cultures one of the most efficient bridges that could be built between cultures due to the commonality of the DNA of telling stories. He also spoke about the joy of working on any film leading to the immersion in the world of stories. 

The Erin Brokovich director called for a system in which artistes could collaborate and work with cultures they were not otherwise exposed to.

To a question on whether he had any preference between film and TV, Soderbergh categorically said “No,” adding that one of the things he liked about working in TV was its ability to have larger canvas, for instance, the show The Nick, had two seasons of 10 hours each and to have a canvas of that size was really fun. “But there are certain ideas that are movie ideas and I think we all have the experience of seeing TV shows in which we felt like ‘I don’t know if six hours was necessary. It’s an interesting idea but it could have been a movie.’  Sometimes I see the expansion of a story into a series, which I am not sure should have been expanded.” 

He also spoke about his next project, a documentary based on the last interview of John Lennon, calling it an important historical document. He said he was not looking to reinvent the form but hoping to create a film that would reach people and allow them to hear what John and his wife Yoko had to say before he was killed. 

When asked about the pressures of box office collection and the cinema that he wants to make, he admitted to facing permanent pressure. Speaking further on the subject, Soderbergh said, “Cinema is a popular art form and one [in which] there is a tension between the stories we want to tell and the stories that work in the marketplace. If you keep making films that nobody goes to see, people will not pay you to make films. It’s the artist’s job to adapt and I am conscious of wanting to make stories that I feel connected to but also have the possibility to reach audiences.” 

The Christophers 

Soderbergh’s new film, The Christophers, a dark comedy, had its second screening at the film festival. It was first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

It tells the story of a painter who has retired but still holds on to his earlier works, keeping them away from his children. It can be called an example of Soderbergh’s minimalist cinema, as the camera stays within the painter’s flat. He gets a new assistant, Lori, hired by his children who are waiting to lay claim to his expensive artworks.

One of his famous series of his paintings is titled The Christophers. The three paintings earlier sold from the series brought in millions and the rest of eight can bring a fortune for the painter’s children. Julian Sklar, played by Ian McKellen, sees through the conspiracy that Lori (Michaela Coel) is a part of and doesn’t trust her. Lori, herself a young artist struggling to make it big in the London art scene, is supposed to complete the unfinished Christophers through forgery.

There is a struggle within her too, as she experiences guilt or what she plans to do. The relief from this gloom comes through the wry humour and Sklar’s character, who is full of life despite being in the twilight of life. The camera pans mostly within the untidy flat and conversation happens between just two characters. Not only does the film work on a minimalist scale, Soderbergh spent very little time shooting it — just 19 days.