The iconic director’s most recent film, The Fabelmans, depicts some of the persecution he faced in high school, and he finds it “alarming” that antisemitism seems to have increased in recent years.
Steven Spielberg’s cultural influence is unparalleled; from Jaws to Jurassic Park, his films have left an indelible mark on successive generations for fifty years.
His new film, The Fabelmans, depicts the formative years of the most legendary director of our time.
In addition to being a family drama, it depicts the antisemitic harassment Spielberg endured as a child.
He told that the problem is not going away during the film’s UK premiere.
“It has been a global issue because it is a systemic problem in all cultures, not just the United States or the United Kingdom,” Spielberg, 76, added.
“I believe that antisemitism has been on the rise since 2015.
And there is ample indication that this will persist for the foreseeable future, which is alarming.
The Fabelmans is already a critical success, having won best drama and best director at the Golden Globes last week, and is expected to make the Bafta and Academy Award shortlist.
At the box office, however, the film has only grossed £16 million thus far. Which is only half of its £32 million budget.
Spielberg is candid about what he believes to be the problem with audiences. “I don’t feel like I’ve adequately communicated that I made a superhero film,” he joked.
“I believe we would have performed considerably better at the box office in the United States if I had informed them I had produced a superhero film starring my parents.
“Now that you all know this is a superhero film, we expect we’ll do better in the United Kingdom.”
I’ve never done a film like this before
Audiences may believe they know Spielberg, but he claims that with The Fabelmans he is finally revealing his true self on film.
“Many people believe they know me because they’ve seen my films. But they don’t know me in any other form. Just as I don’t know myself in so many other forms,” he explained.
“When I produce a movie, I sort of live the experience of that story. And I have to do a lot of research and learn a lot about it, but it rarely reflects who I am.”
He continued, “It reflects my interests and hobbies, but this is the first time I’ve ever made a film on events that truly occurred to me, my three sisters, my mother, and my father.”
As the family home and his parents, as he recalls them as a child are recreated on set. This candor is accompanied by a few emotional moments.
“I’ve never made a film like this before,” Spielberg stated.
“I have never had a filmmaking experience that was so emotionally draining. Schindler’s List may have been the most emotionally draining experience of my career. But in terms of family and personal reflections and shooting a film in a replica of the house I grew up in Arizona, nothing, nothing can compare.”
The Fabelmans is released in British theatres on January 27.
