John Turturro, one of the recipients of an honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award for career achievement, took time between his sold-out masterclass and presenting an outdoor screening of “Barton Fink” to celebrate the Variety Lounge, presented by the Sarajevo Film Festival and BH Telecom.
Turturro, who said he was making his first visit to the Bosnian capital, described his visit to several mosques, the Jewish Museum, the Great Synagogue and the Jewish cemetery, along with other historical sites.
Turturro, who starred in two of the fall film festival’s most highly anticipated titles, discussed playing Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton’s ex-boyfriend in Pedro Almodóvar’s upcoming English-language feature film, “The Room Next Door.” He’s going to Toronto to support that film and Sean Ellis’ “The Cut.”
Turturro mentioned the benefits of a long-term relationship with a filmmaker, noting, “It’s a great benefit because you develop a certain level of trust with each other.” He also praised the late Italian filmmaker Francesco Rosi, for whom he played Primo Levi in “The Truce.”
As a writer-director, Turturro noted that his experience acting with other filmmakers naturally influenced his approach behind the camera. He also discussed his directing of “Mac” and “Romance & Cigarettes” and some of the basis for his selection of roles.
Turturro also shared anecdotes about his roles in ‘Transformers’ and ‘The Batman’ and discussed some of his long-running TV roles. As for what he’s working on now, Turturro said, “I have a few things I’ve been working on. It all depends [on] when I land with the right cast and can get enough financing that I have a chance to not have to rush through it.
