Tilda Swinton Explores Assisted Suicide in Pedro Almodovar's 'The Room Next Door'

TORONTO (AP) — Although “The Room Next Door” is Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature, Tilda Swinton notes that it’s never…

TORONTO (AP) — Although “The Room Next Door” is Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature film, Tilda Swinton notes that he has never written in a language that anyone else actually speaks.

“He writes in the Pedro language, and here he’s making another film in another version of the Pedro language, which is a little bit like English,” Swinton said.

Set in New York, Swinton plays Martha, a terminally ill woman who chooses to end her life on her own terms. After reconnecting with her friend Ingrid, played by Julianne Moore, Martha persuades her to stay and keep her company before following through on her decision.

Beyond the film’s narrative, Swinton said she believes individuals should have a say in their own lives and deaths. She acknowledges having personally witnessed the compassionate departure of a friend.

“In my own life, I was very fortunate to have someone in Martha’s position ask me to be her Ingrid (Julianne Moore),” Swinton said.

She said this experience shaped her attitude toward life and death: “Not only my ability to witness other people in this situation, but also my own life and my own death. »

Swinton spoke to The Associated Press about “The Room Next Door,” Almodóvar and his idea of letting people die on their own terms. The remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: In approaching this role, what was the challenge in getting into character?

SWINTON: I felt really blessed by this opportunity. Many of us have found ourselves in the situation that Julianne Moore’s character finds herself in: she is asked to be a witness to a dying person. Whether wanting to orchestrate their own descent or not, being in this position of witness is something I have had the privilege of experiencing many times in my life since I was very young.

AP: Many people watch their family members become terminally ill, can this film help them?

SWINTON: It’s a beautiful poem about the possibility of an attitude. I think (my character) Martha’s attitude toward her own life is really inspiring. I would like to think that this is a really generous proposal and could inspire people to know that it is possible to face your own death with dignity, which is what we are really talking about.

It really is a mistake to think that we can avoid thinking about death, because it’s not just the unlucky ones who get sick or die. It is an inevitability. And so you might as well, you know, accept it. And besides, the more we accept it, the more we will enjoy our life.

AP: Your character goes to great lengths to curb crime. Do you think this also shows that there is perhaps a place in a society for assisted suicide?

SWINTON: There are many countries in the world where it is not criminal to aid a person’s active will in orchestrating their own death. And in the United States, there are 10 states where it is not criminal, where it is possible for two doctors to assist a patient’s active desire to take responsibility for their own death. And there are just other places where New York State, where our film takes place, is not one of those 10 states. And there are all kinds of people, very wise and very compassionate people, very educated and very enlightened people, in my opinion, who are actively campaigning to expand that acceptance.

AP: You’ve worked with a lot of great directors during your career, what was the adjustment like working with Pedro?

SWINTON: I had a taste of it with the short film “The Human Voice”. We achieved this in the middle of COVID. We shot it in nine days. Super, super fast… And I thought Pedro worked very quickly because it was a short film and because we were in the middle of COVID. No, no, that’s how Pedro works. I now discover two super, super quick takes, if you’re lucky.

AP: Does his style set your performance on an organic path?

SWINTON: I mean, it always helps when you know a filmmaker’s work as well as you can know Pedro’s work. I’ve known him since I was a student and I’ve always liked him. It’s like a country. I like going to Almodóvar’s world and it’s not Spain, it’s somewhere else. It’s his environment. So, getting into the framework of a filmmaker who creates that environment is always a bit of a journey.

AP: In Venice, the film resonated with the audience with a very long ovation. How much validation was that?

SWINTON: It’s still a bit of a shock to us. When you are in an audience, this is the first indication of whether the breath is raised or not. Apparently 18 and a half minutes is a record when you’re next to Pedro Almodóvar and you know that’s 18 and a half minutes of people really lovingly enjoying him. It doesn’t get much better than that.

AP: Is awards season something you look at when you’re making a movie like this? When you hear the buzzing, is that something that comes to mind?

SWINTON: Not mine. To be honest, I really don’t know about that, specifically. I have other things in mind. It’s like the weather. It’s like saying: do you have in mind the weather in three months? Well no. Let’s wait and see. Let’s keep it real. Let’s keep it today.