From Horror Cinema to A Separation: An Interview with George Romero

George Romero is a master of horror cinema; one of the fathers of modern horror cinema who began his career in the 1960s and gained global fame with films like "Night of the Living Dead". The seventy-five-year-old filmmaker, known for his humor and wit, quotes Stephen King: "We have no nightmares because we give them all to you!" I spoke with him about the functions of horror cinema and his various experiences. This interview took place at the 50th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where two other film critics from Hungary and Israel were also present, but I have only included my questions and Romero's answers, omitting the questions (and answers) related to the other two critics. Robin Wood, in his book "Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan," argues that horror films reflect the wounds and problems of society. On the other hand, some believe that horror cinema speaks more about the inner problems of humans rather than society. Which aspect is more important to you? I think it is difficult to separate them. For me, if I don't want to say something, there is no reason to make a film; it should address the conditions of society and humanity. I have never made a film like "Friday the 13th"; I mean, I haven't made a slasher film that just aims to scare. I always try to have a reason for it. Although horror is at the surface level of the work - and there is even comedy - I always try to have something deeper, and my greatest failure is not having something profound. If we consider you one of the fathers of modern horror cinema at the end of the 1960s... Thank you! I wanted to know the roots of this wave of horror cinema at that time. What sparked this wave? There is a documentary called "American Nightmare". This film is about a few of us; me, John Carpenter, and Wes Craven. I don't know, something unconscious must have inspired us all. We were all somehow looking for a way to enter this profession. We were trying to make commercial films to enter this field. I believe that more than anything, the effort for commercial success was our main motivation rather than, for example, a conscious political motive. Although even if we didn't want to be political, there was always a shade of it found in the film. The events that happened naturally made us aware of sensitive issues, but we all tried to make a film that would sell. So I must say that both motivations exist. You also have experience acting in films; The Silence of the Lambs... Yes [laughs]. Pittsburgh was an important place for film production. After "Night of the Living Dead," several films were made there, including Flashdance. The Silence of the Lambs was also made there. Jonathan Demme, an old friend of mine, said you should come and act! I agreed and played a role accompanying Jodie Foster for an outing. How was it working with Alfred Hitchcock in your youth? I never met him... Apparently, you worked behind the scenes of North by Northwest, right? Yes, but we were the second unit, and I never saw Hitchcock. But I met Cary Grant [laughs]. Everything in the film was clearly laid out on paper. Tell me about working with Stephen King... Stephen King wrote the script for Creepshow for me, and it had never been published before. I adapted two novels myself; "The Dark Half," which Stephen liked, and the other "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon," which unfortunately was never made... When you work with Stephen, you have to respect him. You have to be careful. You have to be careful not to change what he likes. Who are your favorite filmmakers throughout the history of cinema? I really like Orson Welles, as well as most of Michael Powell's works. I learned from them how to tell stories. I met Michael Powell, but I never saw Orson Welles. As a final question, what do you think about Iranian cinema? I have seen films that have been sent for the Oscars. I am a member of the Academy and have to watch the films. A couple of years ago, I saw A Separation. It was amazing. Do you know any other Iranian filmmakers? Like Abbas Kiarostami? Unfortunately, no. We don't have much access to these kinds of films. Non-commercial films are rarely screened. In this context, "The Past" by Asghar Farhadi; to be or not to be? "The Past" by Asghar Farhadi was nominated for the 2014 Golden Globe Award. "Taxi" by Jafar Panahi won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.