 |
| Sonja Kinski on Charlie in Diamond on Vinyl: "I felt like I wanted to explore already what was there and go further." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze |
I met up with Sonja Kinski at Anthology Film Archives in New York's East Village to discuss her provocative role and style in J.R. Hughto's mysterious Diamond On Vinyl. Some of her favourite "family films" thread together Sam Shepard, Wim Wenders with Nastassja Kinski in Paris, Texas and Klaus Kinski to Werner Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath Of God and Nosferatu.
Diamond On Vinyl stars Sonja as Charlie, a very curious photographer with a not so safe and sound Henry (Brian McGuire) who is involved with Beth (Nina Millin). The threesome becomes intertwined in beautifully timed transitions that move the story forward with a precision and quietude rarely seen.
Anne-Katrin Titze: Tell me about the character of Charlie. What did you think of her when you first read the script?
Sonja Kinski: I was really drawn to her. Immediately I felt like I wanted to explore already what was there and go further. From her non-filter rawness, childlike self.
AKT: How much of her was on the page?
 |
| Diamond On Vinyl at the Maya Deren theatre Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze |
SK: It was sort of an accident how it happened. A friend of mine was casting it and I was reading for something else and she asked me to read it and then I read the script. And I really liked it.
AKT: After you knew you were to play Charlie, how did the character develop?
SK: It's really, for me, it's day dreaming and fantasising about it. All day. And just playing around with that and making it yours.
AKT: Your first scene in the parking garage is great. We, the audience, don't know at all who you are. For all we know, you could be a werewolf. There's a threat that you pose. You're dangerous.
SK: Really? In the first scene?
AKT: Yes. In the first scene. Because you are so nice. A stranger in an underground parking garage. People might suspect that this is a set-up. You seem surprised that people could react this way.
SK: I was surprised the whole time. I've seen it with an audience. The reactions were totally a surprise. I saw it at a festival for the first time and I hadn't seen the movie before. It was a weird combination. I had never seen it before so I didn't know what to expect. And the audience really loved it. I just was surprised.
AKT: The make-up was very interesting.
SK: It's the Day of the Dead kind of theme.
AKT: Has your mother (Nastassja Kinski) seen the film yet?
SK: No. On Tuesday we're screening it in LA and I told her she has to see it.
AKT: Did she give you any advice?
SK: Yes, she always does. You know, just do what feels right. And not everyone knows what they're doing all the time. So don't take everyone's word for gold!
AKT: That's good advice.
SK: Yeah. A lot of people don't know what they're doing and then I get so hurt.
AKT: It's not always on purpose. Many times it reflects back more on the person causing the harm. Even if they're mean - so what?
SK: Exactly!
AKT: A focus of the film is recording sound - dialogue, conversations. I am recording our conversation now. We live in a world where you can be recorded at any moment, anybody can take a picture of you with their phone. How do you feel about that in real life?
SK: It's so funny, I go through phases because I do it myself. I Instagram and Facebook and then I don't for a long time. I delete and now I'm doing it again. It's just the way to socialise, I guess.
 |
| Brian McGuire as Henry with Sonja Kinski as Charlie |
AKT: When you stop, you feel it's...
SK: I feel more private. I don't want to socialise. You know, I'm kind of in my own world. But when I do it I feel kind of like I want a connection, a sort of surface-y connection. It's not something that's substantial for me.
AKT: I like how the film touches on these issues. What about gender? Your character's name is Charlie, at times she shows more strength than the male and relationships are more complicated than they seem at first.
SK: I don't think it matters what gender you are. I think we're all strong and we're all weak.
AKT: Did you have any impact on the look of the film? How Charlie dressed, for example?
SK: No. I mean, some of the stuff was mine.
AKT: Did that help that some of the stuff was yours?
SK: Yes it did.
AKT: I do recognize you're wearing a blouse by Isabel Marant for H&M today.
SK: Yes! How did you know that?
AKT: Because I got some things of Isabel Marant's, too.
SK: My sister gave this to me. It's so cute. I love it.
AKT: You have a very distinct look. You pick interesting items.
SK: Thank you. I don't know. I feel I'm not very stylish.
AKT: You have your own style.
 |
| Nastassja Kinski as Jane in Sam Shepard's Paris, Texas, directed by Wim Wenders |
SK: I don't go shopping. I don't spend my money on clothes at all. I wish I was like that but I don't.
AKT: What do you spend your money on?
SK: Usually, I'm obsessed with organic, healthy food, like good ingredients. I love cooking and gadgets.
AKT: What do you like to cook?
SK: All kinds of stuff. I'm not that great, but like vegetables, steak, fish. Stuff like that.
AKT: You said you live in LA. Good markets in Silver Lake?
SK: Oh, yeah.
AKT: We should have gone grocery shopping at Union Square market instead. It's a great farmers' market.
SK: Oh really? I want to live here one day. I love going grocery shopping.
AKT: Do you have upcoming projects?
SK: A Beautiful Now, an indie film. She is allergic to cats.
AKT: Are you allergic to cats?
SK: No. I've had cats. Now I have a dog. The film is more like visual art, you know. It's very weird, actually. Other than that, I'm just auditioning.
AKT: Do you have a favorite film of your grandfather's [actor Klaus Kinski]?
SK: I love Aguirre [The Wrath Of God, Werner Herzog, 1972]. That's my favorite one. And Nosferatu [Herzog, 1979].
 |
| Klaus Kinski in Werner Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath Of God |
AKT: And a favorite film of your mother's?
SK: I'd say Paris, Texas [1984, directed by Wim Wenders, written by Sam Shepard].
AKT: What films did you like that you saw this year in the theatre?
SK: I can't remember. You know, I saw Deer Hunter [Michael Cimino, 1978] for the first time? I literally can't get it out of my head. That's a movie that I will never forget. It's just, the images, De Niro, Walken, it's just so strong. It just hit me on a whole other level. All those things that you don't ever see.
Diamond on Vinyl had its world premiere at Slamdance earlier this year.
