From arthouse darling to enfant terrible, from independent film to mainstream blockbusters, in front of the camera and behind it: Asia Argento found artistic acclaim in almost every vain of cinema, never shying away from difficult roles. Like the lead character of her newest work by rising Venezuelan director Jorge Thielen Armand. In Death Has no Master the Italian artist plays a Venezuelan-born woman returning to the house of her youth where ghosts of the colonial past and her own sinister family heritage still linger. Shortly after the film's premiere at Cannes' Directors' Fortnight, Argento opened up about how she connected to her film character, letting go of trying to control her image, and not fitting into conventional casting presets.
How do you feel to be here at Cannes at this point in your career?
Asia Argento: This last year, I've given up a lot of ideas about controlling my image: what a woman is supposed to look like, what people should think of me, a lot of stuff that I brought with me from my youth and as a woman in this industry. I let go of a lot of these constructs and feel a lot better in my skin.
How is your Spanish now?
Argento: It's worse now - I forgot a lot!
And how was it for you to act in Spanish when shooting for a month in Venezuela?
Argento: Two and a half months: one month of preparation and one month of shooting. It made me feel very insecure not speaking the language. So I had to let go of that control. I studied the script, but then Jorge changed it all. I was very frustrated, but I used that frustration for my character because she is somebody born in Venezuela and cannot speak the language anymore. She feels Venezuelan, but she hasn't been back in 30 years and this is the result. She’s very isolated, also because of the language barrier.
And that's a bit how I felt. I was all alone there, everything was new. Everyone was really nice, but there was the difficulty of communicating since not many people spoke English. So I drove myself insane. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get such a complex role in such a great movie, and I was not going to miss this chance. So I gave it my all—and my all was also to drive myself insane alone in my hotel room. I never went to the beach, never went to a restaurant. I was just reading the script, like, 400 times. Every day I only read the script and every time I saw something I could add. I knew everything about my character. I knew about her past, which is not told in this movie. But I'm not going to tell you now. Everyone's past is boring except for mine.
What attracted you to the character?
Argento: It has many aspects that are attractive to play. For me, it's always been more fascinating to play roles that are very disturbed. When I looked at the movie, it seemed really deranged. That’s what I want to do. My character is somebody who was already on the brink when she arrives in Venezuela. But this DNA of ownership, of slavery, really messed her up. Coming to terms with that, realizing what she is and where she comes from and the entitlement she feels with this house, with the people who live there, and the culture. I didn't expect the character actually to be like that.
It changed while we were rehearsing. The narrative kept getting bigger and darker and deeper as we rehearsed in the house, which had a lot of dark energy. When I first read the script, I thought it was a political movie, but while shooting I realized it was horror, a psychological thriller or paranormal thriller from the '70s—which is my turf and my heritage. I was so immersed I didn't even know what they were shooting. Usually, I'm very much in control. Here I let go of all that.
As an international artist, do you feel undervalued by Italian cinema?
Argento: Not undervalued. I understand that it's very hard to cast me. Maybe I'm scary. I'm not right for the bourgeois kind of story. So they don't know what to do with me. But slowly I think it's changing, because cinema is evolving. I'm so shy, and for many years I created this character to protect myself. I created a superhero image that made me look strong and sexy to get through life. Now I am more open than in the past. Maybe there are opportunities now coming from Italy for me as well.
You also direct, you do music. Do you have a preference?
Argento: It changes. That's why I always change. I started working when I was nine. So I evolved. But in recent years, especially these last two years, I realized that acting is what I've done most in my life. It is where I invested more time and energy, and in the end, acting is what has given back to me most. Now I feel a huge respect for this job that has given me life, work, fed me, and taught me so much for 41 years. And I love it.
You say that cinema has changed. Do you think that the place for women in cinema has changed as well?
Argento: Yeah, obviously. You see so many movies nowadays that are made by women, and they tell stories about women that are more interesting, with female characters written by women. That is something that in the past didn't exist. If you went to Cannes in the past, there wasn't even one female director.
How do you feel coming back to Cannes in particular?
Argento: I feel great. I thought they'd never call me back. I feel grateful to come now with such a great movie that I believe in. What I've always found difficult was the exterior, the red carpet, never the work. Doing the work and coming here to the Directors’ Fortnight, which loves directors and art movies, I feel at home.
In the past you came here as a director. How is it different from coming as an actor?
Argento: It's always equally good. My happiest memories in Cannes were always at the cinema. It's easier to be a director than an actress, regarding the exterior. As an actress, a lot is expected of you. I think this has nothing to do with my job: looking good, dressing up, the clothes. And it's been a lot of work to do throughout the years.
It's been eight years since your iconic speech. How do you feel about it?
Argento: I think I did a kamikaze action.
Sound is an integral element of the film. How did you shoot in regard to the sound effects?
Argento: I had to imagine all the sounds. Then when I saw the movie, the sound designer and Vittorio, the composer, had created the soundscape. I was like: "Wow, this seems like the noise I heard in my head when I was going insane shooting this movie." I love the sound design, I love the photography. They did such a good job.
You mentioned horror as your turf. In some aspects, the film is a horror story. Did you advise the director or improvise on the horror scenes?
Argento: I had no idea the movie would turn out to be horror. Only when I saw it the first time with the music and the lights did I realize it's a horror movie. There's this tension of a paranormal psychological thriller underneath. I understood it's my turf when I saw it. That's how immersed I was in my character.
The cast is a mix of professional actors and non-professionals. How was your experience working together?
Argento: Jorge is used to working with non-professional actors. Actually, I think it's the first time he worked with a real actress. We rehearsed for one month in the house. I was in awe, especially of Greca. She's a natural and helped me find my balance. Because this can sometimes be a problem in movies with non-professional actors. Putting actors in creates a different vibe that's not balanced with the others. But here in the end, it worked.
How was the collaboration with Jorge and how would you describe his directing style?
Argento: I don’t know about his style but he always knew what to do. He knew what was right - better than me. That's what I want from a director. I have a lot of experience. I've done 70 movies. I may challenge people to test the limits - to test my limits. But he put me back in the hierarchy in my place. He's the director, I'm the actor.
How was filming in Venezuela?
Argento: The experience was absolutely incredible. The place was surreal. It's hard to describe really. Because I've never been to a place like that. So much spirituality and light, and richness of the souls. I may sound corny when I say that, but it's what I think. Then there was the threat of the American forces arriving through the sea. We were in a port and there was this chaos coming in. There was a serious threat. A few months later when we left, it got attacked.
How is your relationship with Hollywood now?
Argento: I may have been cancelled. Luckily I'm European.
Do you prefer to act in Europe or would you like to act more in the US?
Argento: I don't know what I want to do because I really live for the day. Whatever script comes to me, I see if I'm right for it or not. I don't have any preconceived ideas. Whatever comes and feels right, I'll go for it. In this case it was Venezuela.
Do you have a new project already?
Argento: Yeah, I'm going to do it very soon. But I'm somebody who talks about it after.
How important for Cannes is the Quinzaine in your opinion?
Argento: Here in this section you see a lot of the more interesting movies. Throughout the years, a lot of the movies here were the ones that were more important worldwide, more daring, less conventional. I always look at these movies as a guide to the pulse of contemporary cinema. They have great programming.
You were often described as wild at heart. Do you still feel like that?
Argento: No, but I still have a heart. It's time.
What do you dream of for the future?
Argento: To be... To stay human.
Thank you for this interview!