As part of the ongoing activities at the 81st Venice Film Festival, Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón and acclaimed actress Cate Blanchett premier
As part of the ongoing activities at the 81st Venice Film Festival, Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón and acclaimed actress Cate Blanchett premiered their highly anticipated series, Disclaimer. The first four episodes of the seven-part psychological thriller, which will be available on AppleTV+, were screened on Thursday, marking a significant moment at the prestigious Italian festival.
Cuarón, known for his films like Gravity and Roma, candidly admitted during a press conference that creating a television series was a challenge for him. “I read the book and immediately envisioned it as a film,” he said, referring to the 2015 novel by Renée Knight, upon which the series is based. “But it was too long; I couldn’t structure it as a film.” It wasn’t until later that he realized the story could be adapted into a longer format, drawing inspiration from the works of filmmakers like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, David Lynch, and Krzysztof Kieślowski.
Disclaimer follows the story of journalist and documentary filmmaker Catherine Ravenscroft, played by Cate Blanchett, who discovers she is a character in a novel that reveals her darkest secret. The narrative’s intensity and depth made it more suited for a series, allowing Cuarón to explore the characters and plot in greater detail.
Blanchett, who was Cuarón’s first choice for the role of Catherine, not only accepted the part but also suggested Kevin Kline for a pivotal role in the series. Sacha Baron Cohen plays her husband, while Kodi Smit-McPhee takes on the role of their son.
Filming the series was a lengthy process, far exceeding the time typically spent on a TV show. Cuarón approached it as if making a film, enlisting the help of two renowned cinematographers, Emmanuel Lubezki and Bruno Delbonnel, to craft a visually distinct language for the different perspectives in the story. The entire project took about a year to complete.
“It was a really long process,” Cuarón remarked. “And I really feel for the actors because they were stuck with their characters for such a long time.” Blanchett humorously added, “They’re still recovering.”
The final three episodes of Disclaimer are set to be screened on Friday at the festival. While the Venice Film Festival is traditionally known for its feature film premieres, it has also begun to feature select television series. This year’s lineup includes Joe Wright’s Mussolini biopic M: Son of the Century, Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The New Years, and Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours.
The premiere of Disclaimer has certainly added to the diverse and rich offerings at this year’s Venice Film Festival, showcasing the evolving landscape of storytelling through both cinema and television.
Nabil Alani – at the 81st Venice Film Festival
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