Washington [US], May 17 : Actor Kristen Stewart has delivered a sharp critique of Hollywood's studio system while promoting her new Cannes Film Festival title 'Full Phil', calling for more artistic freedom and "less making billionaires more fucking billionaires".
Speaking ahead of the film's Midnight Screenings premiere at Cannes, Stewart discussed her admiration for French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux, her long-awaited collaboration with Woody Harrelson and her growing frustration with the way films are financed and produced in the United States.
Stewart said she agreed to star in 'Full Phil' even before reading the screenplay because of her respect for Dupieux's filmmaking style.
"I love his movies. They just don't look or feel like anyone else's, and those are the types of directors that actors are so lucky to be able to follow," Stewart said in an interview with Variety.
"He holds the camera at all times. You are with him, connected completely. He knows how he's going to edit it by the end of the day. If he's missing a shot, he gets it. He's beyond an auteur; he's like a mastermind," she added.
The hour-and-20-minute film follows an American father and daughter, played by Harrelson and Stewart, travelling through Paris in an attempt to reconnect. Their journey becomes increasingly chaotic amid protests, eccentric encounters and endless meals.
Describing Dupieux's storytelling style, Stewart said, "His movies are kind of like sucker punches, but sweet ones."
The actor also spoke warmly about finally sharing screen space with Harrelson after years of trying to collaborate.
"We've been trying to work together for years, and it just never lined up," she said, adding, "Sometimes you don't have connections with people; sometimes you can't fathom, like, 'Oh, I could be your kid,' but with him, it was such an easy fit," in an interview with Variety.
Stewart revealed that much of the film's emotional tension came from Dupieux's direction and themes surrounding complicated family relationships.
"He was gleefully encouraging me to be as bratty as I possibly could because I think he was just trying to create his worst dream," she said, referring to Dupieux's perspective as a father.
One of the film's recurring visual motifs involves the characters constantly eating, something Stewart admitted became unexpectedly difficult during production.
"It was the hardest part of the entire job," she said. "There were no cutting points. Every once in a while, I would be like, 'I have to stop.'"
Stewart also reflected on broader frustrations with Hollywood's business structure, arguing that the industry has become increasingly restrictive for filmmakers seeking to create unconventional work.
"I'm just so sick of the rules and I'm so sick of the system," she said, adding, "It is not designed for artists to express themselves," in an interview with Variety.
The Oscar-nominated actor criticised what she described as a profit-driven model that limits creative risks.
"We need to make more work. There needs to be more work, more output, more connection and less fear and less fucking bureaucracy and also less making billionaires more fucking billionaires," Stewart said.
She added that the current state of the industry has pushed her toward smaller, independently produced projects.
"My goal is to make something for really nothing with my friends before the end of the year and put it on fucking YouTube," Stewart said, adding, "I want to make weird shit."
Stewart is currently filming Panos Cosmatos' vampire thriller 'Flesh of the Gods' alongside Wagner Moura.
Speaking about the project, she said, "We're just like, lost in his psychedelic dreamscape."
The actor also reflected on the journey of her directorial debut 'The Chronology of Water,' which premiered at Cannes last year.
Stewart said the experience of developing and distributing the film changed her outlook on filmmaking.
"This is what I want to do and it's completely changed my life," she said, adding, "I just can't fucking do that anymore or I'm never going to make my own movies."
Towards the end of the conversation, Stewart briefly addressed reports linking her to a potential adaptation project connected to Kim Gordon's memoir 'Girl in a Band'. While confirming discussions had taken place, she said the project's direction had since evolved.
"I would love to be a part of that project, but I'm not sure actually what they are doing with it," Stewart said.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor