Original-Cin Q&A: Egoyan and Seyfried on their Latest Collaboration, Seven Veils

By Bonnie Laufer

Known for his provocative and intellectually challenging films such as Exotica and the Oscar-nominated The Sweet Hereafter, Toronto writer-director Atom Egoyan returns with his latest work, the moody and very atmospheric Seven Veils.

The film focuses on Janine, a theatre director played by Amanda Seyfried, who is dealing with repressed trauma as she prepares to mount a production of the opera Salome. Seven Veils reunites Egoyan with Seyfried, whom he last directed in 2009 in the commercial hit thriller, Chloe.

Bonnie Laufer had (just) a few minutes to chat with Egoyan and Seyfried about their reunion and working together on this project. Seven Veils opens in select theatres across Canada March 7.

ORIGINAL-CIN: Atom, you've had the privilege of mounting the opera Salome twice in Toronto with the Canadian Opera Company. When did the wheels start turning about using it as a backdrop for this film and creating a character for Amanda?

ATOM EGOYAN: I first mounted the production in 1996, so when I found out that it was going to be remounted a few years ago, I had all these emotions running through me because I had been living with it for so many years. This time around I thought, ‘There has to be something to do with this opera that I can incorporate on film.’ I realized I was not going to change the production but maybe I would welcome a new interpretation. By creating this screenplay around the remount, it started to turn into something. Then the character of Janine began to emerge, a person who was negotiating things in her own past and her present, who was in a state of turmoil, who gets this offer to leave it all behind by coming to direct Salome.

O-C: Which turns into quite a cathartic and traumatic experience for her.

AE: Exactly. For her to do this creative work and through that creative work — which has so many conditions attached to it — she begins to emerge in a way that she wasn't expecting. I thought that would be a cool character. Then I thought of Amanda. We have wanted to work together again since we did Chloe, and this felt like the right project. Luckily Amanda was available, because we had very fixed dates and we could not change them because it had to be while the opera was on stage. So, we're now realizing that it was a miracle that happened because Amanda has been so busy. At the time it felt like it was going to be so organic and kind of be easy, but it became really complicated. But we pulled it off and Amanda exceeded my expectations of what she did with this character.

O-C: Amanda, reuniting with Atom and taking on this character must have felt like a gift. You’ve never shied away from tough roles, but this one seemed like a psychological challenge for you. Can you talk about the trauma your character goes through and how you tackled that.

AMANDA SEYFRIED: She is biting off more than she can chew, but also rightfully so. She's hit a point in her life, and I think a lot of us can relate to what she's going through. It's tackling these demons that have really never gone away and trying to take control in a way that she hasn't and having this opportunity to face all the murkiness in her life. It was a hard opportunity to pass up. I think, when you're faced with it, and you’re also trying to be a good mom and be a good partner, it is always complicated.

O-C: Pretty relatable I would think.

AS: Oh yes, I totally felt connected to [the character of] Janine in many ways. To be able to go full steam ahead into this, on this journey back to the past, and then through the present and future — and be projected upon and then choosing to react in a certain way and choosing to stay the course and honor yourself in this remount — was incredible. It was a lot of work and there were some super-challenging moments that I couldn't wait to be over. When I watched the film, I felt like we did it. I felt satisfied that we got to a place, but it was hard. Sometimes I didn't feel capable of getting all that angst out on stage and I sometimes have a hard time being so physical and that's how you direct operas.

O-C: Must have also been quite the learning experience as well.

AS: Definitely. It was a great opportunity to watch Atom because he directs operas differently than how he directs me in film. It was amazing to discover that and to just learn so much about the opera world and more about myself. I always learn something new about myself on a project and trust me, it's hard. These roles I’ve been getting lately are way better and I don't think I'll ever be offered a role by Atom that's not something that I need to really dig into.

AE: It's interesting. As I am listening to you Amanda, I realized that you have never used that term and it's a beautiful term that you needed to honour yourself. Your character Janine starts off by saying, ‘I'm here to honour [her mentor] Charles’ spirit,’ but realizes that you're here to honour your own experience. He's part of her journey but I also just think it's kind of interesting, this idea of this relationship that meant so much to her at a certain time in her life, and that she hasn't maybe thought about like for a long time. Then suddenly she's back in that space and wondering, what was it that was so magical about that relationship?

She’s almost tormented by these images from that production, and now she has to rekindle that in order to make it and it drives her crazy. I think some of the stuff she's doing is so outlandish. Like for example there’s a scene in the rehearsal room, like, you know, when she grabs the understudy’s head. You would never be able to do that, obviously, but she loses a sense of what the boundaries are, and because she's so inflamed she doesn’t care what she does to get through it.

O-C: I just must mention Amanda, having been such a fan of the series Big Love, it was wonderful seeing you reunited with our Canadian boy, Douglas Smith.

AS: Ha! Yes, my brother from another mother! He played my brother on that show and in this he was my love interest, so it was a bit awkward (laughs).

AE: I will add that the only condition Amanda gave me when it came to Douglas was that she was not going to kiss him on the lips. I said you don't have to. You just have to run your fingers through his hair… in a profoundly charged way.