Twice Born: Tiff 2012 Interviews Penelope Cruz, Emile Hirsch, Saadet Aksoy and Adnan Haskovic

Margaret Mazzantini (translation by Ann Gagliardi) has written a story of epic proportions that has become an international best seller. Now she and her director husband Sergio Castellitto have brought this epic to the screen. The outstanding cast includes Penelope Cruz in the lead role as Gemma, Emile Hirsch as Diego, Saadet Akosy as Aska, and Adnan Haskovic as Gojco. Written and directed bySergio Castellitto, starring both Pietro and Sergio Castellitto, it is indeed an epic family endeavor. Margaret Mazzantini says she was inspired to write the book during her pregnancy and the birth of her fourth child, Pietro. The IMDB movie description is very simple:

“A single mother brings her teenage son to Sarajevo, where his father died in the Bosnian conflict years ago.”

Twice Born is an epic European story (both the book and the movie) masterfully told that uses alternating flashbacks to reveal a haunting story of love, motherhood, marriage, sex, war, family, loss and redemption against the backdrop of war torn Sarajevo. Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster ride. Penelope Cruz says she knew she had to do the movie having read the book. The movie is set in Europe, Rome, Italy and Sarajevo, Bosnia.  The characters are so well written that it is easy to really connect with all of them.

“I became really obsessed with this woman, with Gemma and what happens to her. I knew I wanted to go through this journey with her. “

                                                                                               Penelope Cruz. 

Many things happened and three years went by between Penelope Cruz accepting the role in Twice Born and actually doing the role, including her own pregnancy and giving birth. Penelope said this had a huge impact on her ability to relate to the role.

“It helped me understand in a very, very deep way what Gemma was trying to get in her life, what she was missing, the sadness that gave her because she really wanted that in her life.”                                                                  Penelope Cruz.

Penelope Cruz is also very proud of her brother who has done the entire musical score for the movie. It is the first project they have done together so she hopes there will be many more.

Sergio Castellitto was so determined that Emile Hirsch belonged in the movie after seeing him in another feature that he had the character of Diego in the book changed to be an American for the movie.Emile Hirsch confessed that the movie was a departure from the characters he has portrayed in previous movies and he found the role very rewarding, especially working with Penelope Cruz.