Soon you will be eighty-two years old. The height was shortened by six centimeters and the weight was only forty-five kilograms.
But you are as beautiful, elegant, and heartwarming as ever. We've spent fifty-eight years together, and my love for you is growing stronger.
My chest has this annoying emptiness again, and it can only be filled when your burning body is nestled in my arms.
- "To d"
[Love before memory fades] always reminds me of Andrea Gautz's "To D."
If you think of it as a book, then it's just a booklet of just a few seventy pages;
But if you think of it as a letter, it is thick and sincere.
Because it was andre, who was not good at words, he wrote a love letter by integrating his feelings for his seriously ill wife, Dolina.
"To D" was published in 2006, and a year later, the old couple who had accompanied each other for more than half a century committed suicide and personally drew a rest for this love story.
For many people, it may mean being sick, the quality of life is getting lower, and so on.
But for our two lead actors, Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland, Twilight seems like a fresh start.
Helen Mirren: Memories can fade, love can't
■ How did you first join the film "Love Before Memory Fades"?
□ when my agent first gave me the script, he told me that Donald Sutherland would be in the film.
Back in the late '80s, I played a couple with Donald, so when I read the script, I immediately decided to join the film.
Paulo Verzi is an Italian director, and [Before Memory Fades] is his first film directing dialogue in English, which is another reason why I was so attracted.
■ You have been taking care of your husband played by Donald Sutherland in the movie, and is this also the case during the filming of the movie?
□ Yes, yes, you know, once the actors enter the situation of the character, they will also develop a tacit understanding that complements the plot outside the play.
For this film, Donald and I also extended the mode of getting along in the play outside the play, because as the work progressed, the two of us naturally thought of ourselves as John and Ella.
■ After her husband lost her memory, Ella was grumpy about the fact that her husband had cheated on her before, and on the other hand, she hoped that he could enjoy the last days of her life happily, so she took him to fulfill her wish. How difficult was this performance for you?
□ does have some difficulty because I haven't encountered this in my real life, so I can only put myself in Ella's shoes and imagine what her mental activity is like.
The creation of each character is essentially born out of life itself, which is why you will feel that this is very much like a real story after you have seen [love before the memory fades].
So I gradually understood Ella's inner contradictions, and from the principles of her life as a person, I knew that even if she found out that her husband had cheated, she would go on the journey they had agreed upon.
It was a very human choice from the heart, and the only thing Ella could do.
■ Recently you have tried many different types of films, such as [Fast and Furious 8], [The Nutcracker and the Four Kingdoms], etc., what is the most attractive thing about these scripts?
□ script is indeed one of the reasons why it is very important, but in fact, the script is not the decisive factor in whether I can take a play, and I actually like to try different types of films as much as possible.
I am also a fan of movies, and I love to watch any type of movie. Many people think that Ha, Helen Mirren's old stubborn, love to watch movies are estimated to be quite boring.
Actually, no, I accept all kinds of different movies.
I love watching art films, and I love watching commercial films. I've always had the idea of making all types of movies as much as possible, but of course that goal is too big, so I'm still working on it.
■ In the future, you will return to the TV industry to star in the drama series "The Great Catherine", which is also your second role as a queen, as far as you are concerned, would you rather play a real character with history to refer to, or a completely fictional role?
□, I prefer to play historical figures, which is a particularly interesting thing.
When I get a script adapted from historical events, I feel like a detective, in the process of constantly solving historical puzzles and digging into the psychological activities of the characters at that time.
This is a surprise that playing a fictional character cannot bring me, and only if I have experienced real history, these real characters have flesh and blood.
You no longer need to imagine their mental activities out of thin air, their joys and dislikes are based on experiences and people they meet, and they are all traceable.
When playing these roles, it is necessary to have strong reasoning and analysis skills to accurately capture their psychological activities.
■ I heard that you are working on a new film [Anna] with Luc Besson next, can you talk to us about this movie?
□ [Anna] is an action film, very Luc Besson's style, a bit like the Nikita Girl he wrote in the late '90s.
Although I don't have many action scenes in the film, I have to say that I enjoy working with Luc Besson too much.
He's always been a director I admire, a unique visual style that makes you instantly recognize Luc Besson's unique label. The films he makes always capture the audience's psychology very well.
Donald Sutherland: Old friends reunite, stressful?
■ Did you feel a lot of pressure when you first knew you were going to play a couple with Helen Mirren?
□in fact, as early as 1988, Helen and I played husband and wife, that is, in the movie [Bethune: The Growth of a Hero], I played Dr. Bethune, and Helen played my wife Penny in the film.
Many years ago, Bethune came to China and led a medical team to the front line of the battlefield with the Eighth Route Army to carry out medical rescue missions.
During the filming in 1986, I spent more than six months in China, visiting Xi'an, Yan'an, Wutaishan, and many other places.
It was a very legendary experience, when I had a great time working with Helen, and most of the rivalry scenes between the two of us were filmed in Montreal.
For many years after that, I always looked forward to the opportunity to work with her again.
I was overjoyed to learn that we would play a couple again [Before Love Fades In Memory], Helen is a pretty good actress and the process of working with her is always a joy.
■ Because of Alzheimer's disease, John's memories are always good and bad, so he often provokes his wife Ella without paying attention. How do you deal with this state of affairs in performance?
□ although as viewers, we will understand what the emotional flashpoint of Ella is after John angers Ella, but from John's point of view, because he is a patient, he becomes unable to understand where Ella's joys and sorrows come from.
In John's eyes, Ella was such an elusive woman that instead of arguing or theorizing with her when she was angry, he sat there quietly, listening to and digesting all his wife's anger, waiting for the storm to pass and everything returned to calm.
■ In your opinion, what are the most difficult aspects of participating in this movie?
□ the most difficult thing should be that when Helen and I were going to say goodbye to these two roles, we were very reluctant to end this happy journey, reluctant to say goodbye to each other, and reluctant to go all the way.
The Italian production team members who worked with us, each of them was so excellent that I really didn't want to leave them.
I couldn't bear to say goodbye to the motorhome called the Seeker, and during the few months Helen and I had fallen deeply in love with this big guy.
■ Did you know the end of the story before you participated in the movie? Do you understand the decision Ella made?
□ Yes, I knew how the story would end when I received the script.
I understand very well what Ella has done, and I don't think it's a tough decision because in that situation it seemed like her only option and the right decision.
Because this situation is a difficult problem for both Ella and John, the difference is that when John has not experienced the painful emotions, Ella is the one who needs to carry all the emotional burdens.
But what can she do with Ella? I can't think of any better way for her.
■ You've previously won the lifetime honor trophy given to you by the Oscars, what does that mean to you?
□ a few months ago, I received a call from an unfamiliar number, and at first I thought it was some kind of investment sales harassment call, but on the other end of the phone was a man's voice, "Is it Donald?" I'm John Bailey."
John Bailey was a [ordinary] photographer, almost forty years ago.
He said to me, "I'm the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences," and I rushed to congratulate him, and he told me, "I want to congratulate you, you got the Lifetime Achievement Award."
He spent the rest of the time talking to my wife, Francine, and after hanging up the phone, Francine said to me, "From now on, we have to lose weight."
The trophy seemed to open a door for me and let me smell some fresh air.
In fact, I would like to thank the characters I have played, because the lines I have said in their identities have also witnessed every stage of my own life.
I have been accompanied by too many people along the way, and at the previous awards ceremony, I thanked many people, those words are from the heart, I think this award is too important for me and my family.
■ The next American drama "Trust" starring you is about to air, this series and [World of Money] are based on the same historical event, will you worry about the audience comparing the two works together?
□'m not afraid at all, I'm good friends with Christopher Plummer, and I encourage the audience to compare the two of us better after watching the movies and episodes!