8 Monday April 22 2013 | the times arts artscomedy

DESPINA SPYROU; GRAEME ROBERTSON “Studioshave financedfourofmy [23]films.Idon’thave aproblemwith Find thenextbig thing Theone-nightstand Hollywood,butthe airwe breathe hereisn’tpermeatedbybusiness. My familylifeishere.” Linklateris unmarried(“Iam Go to Edinburgh anti-institutionalineveryareaofmy life”).He andTina,hispartnerof andjoin thepanel thatsparked aclassic 20years,have threemuch-cherished daughters—19-year-oldLorelei, an actress,and the8-year-old“fascinating” that decides who identicaltwinsCharlotte andAlina. “That’s abig gapbetweenchildren,”he is thestand-up ThedirectorRichard Linklater tells Tim Teeman says.“Tinasaid:‘I wantmorekidsand ifyoudon’tI’ll gohave themwith comedianof2013 thebittersweet story of abrief encounterwitha someoneelse’,” Linklaterlaughs. He quotesastatisticthat70 percentof oyouwant togo tothe strangerthatgaveusBeforeSunrise andits sequels marriedmen and72percentofmarried EdinburghFestivalFringefor women havestrayed.Isheoneofthe afortnight andstay there hosewhoracefor chanceonenight inVienna.Lehrhaupt, monogamousones?“No, of coursenot!” free?Thinkyoucouldhandle theexitasamovie’s Linklaterrevealsforthefirsttime,was heroars.“Anyonewhowantsto bewith D morethan 100hours of closingcredits rollwill thewoman with“crazy, cute,wonderful mehastoacceptthecomplexityofbeing comedyintwoweeks?Thenyouhave miss,at theendof We talked energy”hemetonenight inOctober ahuman.Itrynotto live inastraitjacket. whatittakesto beaFoster’sEdinburgh RichardLinklater’s aboutart, 1989who inspiredthefilms.“What ComedyAwardPanellist. much-anticipated Amyrepresentedforme—and what We areofferingthree winnersthe Before Midnight,its science, Ihopethefilmsrepresentto people — chancetojointhe judgingpanelforthe T dedicationtoawoman issomethingaboutthepoetryof Foster’s EdinburghComedyAwards, namedAmy Lehrhaupt.This thirdfilm, film,the attraction,interactionand romance,” OfcourseI’mnot Britain’s mostimportantcomedyprize. followingBeforeSunrise (1995)and the52-year-oldLinklatersays.He’s monogamous. YouwillbedecidingboththeMost Before Sunset(2004),examinesthe gamut.We sittinginhisproductionoffice—a OutstandingOriginalComedyactand Last year’s Fringecomedy nominees continuingwitty,sexy, fraught trailer,wallscoveredwithvintage Itrynottolivein theBestNewcomerComedyactfrom relationshipof Jesse(EthanHawke) and flirted movieposters—onadisusedairfield theFringe.Thewinners andnominees Celine (Julie Delpy)whofirstmeetby inAustin,Texas.It’s managedasa astraitjacket willgo onto theFoster’s Edinburgh Howtoenter filmproductioncentrebythe Austin ComedyAwardShowsinLondon. 1. Tell us in approx 350 words whyyou FilmSocietyhehelpedtofound. Ialsotrynotto hurtanybody orcause Youneedtobearegularvisitortolive are the best candidate. He isirreverent,warm, boyishofface, painto my lovedonesand kids.” comedyandhave bagsofenergy. You 2. Writethree shortreviews of your bearishofbodywithshaggyhairand He says hewouldliketomakea willbeexpectedtoseesixshowsaday; three favouritelivecomedy acts. greatcalves;acritically adoredindie “bigsex comedyoneday. There’svery you’llbefeedingbackyouropinionsof Entriesmustreach us by May10. If you directorwhose diverseCVincludesthe little sexinmy movies,sowhenIdoa whatyou’veseenandcontributingto are shortlisted, youwill be requiredto teenslackermovieDazedandConfused, movieaboutsex therewillbe alot.” officialpanelmeetingsand theprocess attend an informal interview in theriotously twangySchoolof Rock and MortalitystalksLinklater offindingthewinners. London on either May30or31. Travel theperiodHollywood dramaMe and whimsically: onagrave-findingwebsite OscarCainer,oneof ourpublic expenseswill be reimbursed. OrsonWelles.Financiersand audiences hecameacrossFrançoisTruffaut’s, panellistsfromlastyear,saysofhis Send your entry to whofirstpeggedhimasaslacker “whodiedat52.I’m52 butfeellikeI’m experience:“Tobepartofsucha [email protected], or director(hisbreakthroughmoviewas, divorcedparents,Linklatersaysitwasn’t onlyhalfway throughmybodyof work.” prestigiousawardattheheartof Edinburgh Comedy Awards Panellist, indeed,calledSlacker)laterfound the scarring:“It’sbettertohaveparents He relishes“thearchitecture”of possiblytheworld’smostvibrant 1Lumley Court, Off402 Strand, labelwanting,whichcheershim.The happierapartthansaddertogether. storytelling;howaGreekchorus culturalfestivalwasagiddyprivilege.It’s London WC2R 0NB. broodingBefore films“didn’tfitwith Theyweregoodparentsand stillare.” ofgossipsinBernieformsthefilm’s anintenseexperience:there’salottosee The winners will be announced people’sperceptions ofme,”Linklater He isalapsedCatholic,afterhismother linchpin.He says that“ruleNo1of andtakepartinbutifyoulikeyourbelly in mid-June. says,“buttheaudienceinvestedin toldtheChurchto“f***off”whenit filmisshowit,don’tsayit”arulehe, fulloflaughs,yourheadfullofideas and EthanandJulie anditgrewovertime.” stoppedheracquiringbirthcontrol. theinstinctiverebel,contravenes yourdays,well,justfull,thereis no Terms and conditions Linklater,29in1989,wasvisitinghis “I’msogratefulnottohave grown up withspeech-heavyscripts.Hisnext bettertripto take.Just bringyourbest 1. Entrants must be 18 or over and resident sisterinPhiladelphiawhenhemet inthatguilt-riddledworld,”hesays. project,starringHawke again, thistime walkingshoesandtrytokeepup!” in the UK. Lehrhaupt,inherearlytwenties,ina Linklatergrewup“likeany horny withRosanna Arquette,isthe fruitionof Soshow usyourcredentials.We are 2. Entrants must be available fulltime and able to toyshop.JustlikeJesse andCelinein kid”,readingPlayboy andkissing 11yearsoffilm-makingthatfollowsa lookingforrealpunters reside in Edinburgh from Aug 10 to 24. Before Sunrisethey walked,“lookedat “around100girls”beforehewas15, boytoteenager-dom. whoknowandcare 3. The competition is not open to employees of the Festival Fringe Society or anyone connected shit...talkedaboutart,science,film, whichwasaboutwhenhelosthis Therehave beennine-yeargaps aboutcomedy. professionally with the comedy business. thegamut”, flirted“andhad awonderful virginity. Asateenhe wasaweekend betweentheBefore films,andLinklater Thewinner 4. The prize is aposition on the Foster’s night;neitherof ushad anyagenda”. marijuanauser.Thesedaysheenjoys would liketomakeafourthwhenJesse mustbe Edinburgh Comedy Awards judging panel for the Theykissed.Didthey have sex? “theoddbrownie.Peopleare surprised, andCelinereachanothermilestone:50. availableto stay in Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013. The winner Linklaterlaughs andblurts:“Iwant givensomeofmy films,by howlittleofa They“shouldbetogether,” hethinks. EdinburghfromAug must attend approximately six shows aday, toleave alittlemystery!”(His druggyguyIam,butIliketheculture.It Theirlove is Linklater’s notionoflove: 10to 24.Inreturn,the possibly more, and provide short reviews of expressionbetrays enough.)LikeJesse wasfilmthatbecamemy compulsion.” itexists,buttherosescomestudded Foster’s Edinburgh all shows attended. inBeforeSunriseLinklaterhadto leave brief;shewassuch analive person”. He Linklater’s viewofhimself asan Top: Ethan Hawkeand He shotmovieswithaSuper8 withcomplex,mysteriousthorns. ComedyAwardswill 5. Only one entry per person. thenextmorning;separationforever doesn’tthinktheirrelationship was“the old-schoolexistentialistisbrilliantly Julie Delpy in Before camera,influencedbymoviessuchas He’s doneSunrise,Sunset and provideyouwith 6. The winners will be chosen by the award director Nica Burns and her decision is final. loomedinthiserapre-internetand one”,he’snotsureifhe fellinlove with apparentinhisothernewfilm,Bernie. Midnight. Above: AClockworkOrange,Chinatown, Midnight:what’s leftintheday, accommodation, 7. The prize is nontransferable. There will be no mobilephone. herthatnight,butitwas“special”. He Basedonatruestory, thisis ablack Richard Linklater; EraserheadandRagingBull.His first title-wise?“Ithinkwe’ll havetojump travel,showtickets cash prize. 8. No responsibility will be taken for UnlikeJesse andCeline,though, hasa“moreof therandom,shit happens comedytoldwithapoker-straightface. Hawkeand Delpy in film,It’sImpossible To LearnTo PlowBy toseasons,”hesmiles. andinvitations to entries lost, delayed or incomplete. 9. All costs circumstanceneverbroughtLinklater viewoftheworld”,describinghimself It showshow thewarpedrelationship Before Sunrise. Left, ReadingBooks(1988), precededSlacker Bernieis releasedonApr 26.Before thebestpartiesin incurred by the winners other than travel and andLehrhaupttogetheragain.They asromanticand cynical,witha betweenBernie Tiede,amuch-loved Jack Black in Bernie (1991),hisfirstwidelydistributedmovie. Midnightisout onJun21 town! accommodation are at the winners’ expense. exchangedphonecalls, butLinklater “melancholiccomedictragic view smalltownTexasundertaker(Jack soonmet“asignificantgirlfriend”and oftheworld.I’manold-school Black)andtherich,abusiveHelena neverheardfromLehrhauptagain. existentialist”. Nugent(ShirleyMacLaine)leads He thoughtthatshemightcometoa FilmedinGreece,Before himtomurderher.Thetown screeningofBeforeSunrise hewasat. Midnightfinds JesseandCeline rushes,warmly andperversely,to Butforyears,nothing.Then, threeyears intheirfortieswithchildren, hisdefence.Blackvisitedthereal ago, hereceivedaletterfromawoman unmarriedandquestioningif Tiede injail,whilethefamously whohadworkedwithLehrhauptand theyare“enough”forone spiritualistMacLaine,Linklater knewthelink betweenherand the another.Infidelityand laughs,“communed director. “Itwasverysad,”Linklater commitmentissues everynightwiththe says.“On Mother’s Day 1994,three swirl.Thefirstfilm realMiss Nugent”. monthsbefore we wentto Viennato earnedLinklater Linklateris steeped shootBeforeSunrise,Amywaskilledina scoresofletters inhisnative Texas. motorbikeaccident.Shewasn’talive frommoviegoers, He’s directedhis whenweshotthefirstmovie.” especiallyolder movieshere Hawke,whowritesthefilmswith ones,who’d andwasraised Linklaterand Delpy, toldthedirector: hadtheir betweenhis “OntheonehandIfeellikecrying;on ownfleeting mother’s homein theotherifyouhadn’tmetherwe encounters.The Huntsvilleandhis wouldn’thave met.Shebroughtus thirdwillmake father’s morethan750miles together.” couplesinlong-term awayinHouston.The Linklatersaysthat“Amy’slifewasso relationshipssquirm. onlychildinhisclasswith