Sunday is family day. So, it just made sense for the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival to book Paper Tiger, written and directed by James Gray and starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, for Sunday evening. After all, the loosely autobiographical movie tells the story of a suburban family that becomes entangled with the Russian mob.
Just before the Paper Tiger screening, Gray received the Career Leopard honor from the Swiss festival in a moment that seemed worthy of a big cat pun.
Looking out at the city’s big central square, the Piazza Grande, which seats 8,000 people, the U.S. auteur shared the mix of excitement and nervousness that he was feeling.
“I didn’t expect this crowd. I sort of feel like I’m in the Beatles or something,” he told the big crowd. “This is very strange. I’m very nervous because usually I’m behind the camera and I’m yelling at other people to do things and telling them what to do. And now I’ve got to do some talking. It’s vaguely terrifying.”
Gray also called the experience “very moving,” before resorting to some deadpan humor. “When I told my wife, I said, ‘Hey, they want to give me this prize in Locarno,’” the filmmaker shared. “My wife said, ‘That’s very nice. Now, can you take out the garbage?’”
Continued the U.S. honoree: “So this … gives you a kind of perspective in life. But my wife’s feelings aside, it’s very moving to me.”
Continuing with the family theme, Gray told the Locarno outdoor audience about Paper Tiger: “You’re going to see pretty much where I grew up. A lot of it is autobiographical. You’ll see my neighborhood, and you’ll say, ‘Oh my God.’ Because I got here with this [award], and I came from that.”
Gray also concluded that just because he received this year’s Career Leopard, film fans shouldn’t write him off yet. “I’m not old,” he said. “I have many good films, hopefully, left, and maybe better. So don’t age me out yet.”