On the set of surreal comedy Problemista, Tilda Swinton and Julio Torres developed a working relationship reminscent of the one she had with Derek Jarman, she revealed.
Derek directed Tilda in nine films between 1986 and 1993, with the English director dying the following year, at the age of 52.
Speaking to Them magazine, Tilda, 63, and director Julio, 37, who shot to fame for his work on Saturday Night Live, discussed their film and strong bond.
On working with Julio, Tilda said: ‘I really thought, “OK, lightning doesn’t strike twice. You’re really lucky. You had this incredible family and he’s gone now and you won’t be able to work that way with anybody else.” And then I was.’
Problemista follows a struggling toy designer Alejandro from El Salvador (Julio) who starts working for Elizabeth, an erratic art-world outcast (Tilda), in New York City, hoping to stay in the country and realise his dream before his work visa expires.
On the set of surreal comedy Problemista, Tilda Swinton, 63, and Julio Torres, 37. developed a working relationship reminscent of the one she had with Derek Jarman, she revealed
Speaking to Them magazine, Tilda, 63, and director Julio, 37, who shot to fame for his work on Saturday Night Live , discussed their film and strong bond
Tilda said: ‘I really thought, “OK, lightning doesn’t strike twice. You’re really lucky. You had this incredible family and he’s gone now and you won’t be able to work that way with anybody else.” And then I was’
Julio’s film debuted at the South by Southwest film festival in 2023, but is yet to come out in the UK or the US.
The complicated character of Elizabeth was put together by both Tilda and Julio over a year’s worth of Zoom meetings.
‘She is a complete fantasy made-up character on both of our parts. She sprang into our heads,’ Tilda explained.
The angry at the world, middle-aged white lady character had been done again and again, so Julio relied on Tilda to breathe life into it.
He said: ‘Tilda saved her from being another story about a difficult well-to-do white lady, the martini-holding nightmare lady. She would give her teeth and make her pointier.’
Of Tilda, Julio said: ‘I felt immediately embraced by her. We all have friends that require a lot of work, and friends where you can just relax. She is the latter.’
Tilda had long since been a fan of Julio’s work and recalled: ‘I was concerned that you might mind not directing it.
‘With his writing, he makes worlds. When we were trying to find someone to direct his world, it just felt like the wrong-arced question.’
Of Tilda, Julio said: ‘I felt immediately embraced by her. We all have friends that require a lot of work, and friends where you can just relax. She is the latter’
On the impact he wants Problemista to have, Julio said: ‘I always hope that movies, or what I do, awakens empathy in people.
‘There are so many people who feel trapped within systems that no one can really defend, but everyone is enforcing.’
Tilda admitted she finds it hard to work with people she does not have a friendship with, and avoids doing so.
So, when her long-time collaborator Derek Jarman passed away, she thought she’d never have fun on a set again.
