Danish director Bille August has built a cinematic empire – now his daughter Amaryllis is breaking in
WITH A CAREER spanning over five decades, and awards that include two Palmes d’Or and an Oscar, Bille August has long put his mark on the Danish film industry. His fresh-faced daughter Amaryllis, who features in August’s latest release The Count of Monte Cristo, is just starting out. Here, Vogue Scandinavia sits down with the father and daughter in Copenhagen to talk about how the new release is a milestone for both
“The film has an important message which is about what revenge does to you,” says celebrated Danish director Bille August of his latest endeavour: Alexandre Dumas’ 19th-century classic The Count of Monte Cristo.
“In today’s world, all is about revenge. But revenge doesn’t do any good, especially for those carrying it out. It consumes Edmond Dantès,” August goes on, as we chat in his pristine home on the outskirts of Copenhagen.
Edmond Dantès is the main character who, as the beloved story goes, is suddenly accused of being a Bonapartist and flung into the dungeons of the dreaded Chateau d’If. When he finally manages to escape, he decides to take revenge on the people who wanted to ruin his life. One of them is the chief prosecutor, whose daughter, Valentine, is played by Amaryllis August, Bille’s 21-year old daughter.
Bille August on the set of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ with Sam Claflin. The interiors were filmed in Paris, Turin and Rome which had all the grand buildings and palaces that were necessary for the plot. Their sheer opulence was important to show the wealth and power of the people that Edmond Dantès so cynically destroys, explains the Danish maestro. Photo: Claudio Iannone.
“All the characters evolve around the same theme; revenge and providence. In a religious context providence means justice,” the director says as we sit down to enjoy the tea and buns that he’s fetched from the bakers. “But if justice is not obtained you must carry it out yourself – this is Edmond’s interpretation.”
HE HAD LESS THAN seven months to shoot the equivalent of four motion pictures. With a staggering 92 characters, there was a lot to keep track of.
“It was possible because it was such a great story,” August says. “I could choose between the best actors in the world, so it was an immense adventure and a lot of fun. I had a great story and great actors, especially Amaryllis,” he adds with a smile.
“It still feels surreal. I’m expecting people to tell me it was just a joke,” says Amaryllis on debuting simultaneously in two major releases. Photo: Claudio Iannone.
During Christmas, Amaryllis debuted in Families Like Ours directed by another Danish superstar, Thomas Vinterberg. For someone who’s had a flying start she’s remarkably modest. She’s just arrived from the local kindergarten where she works while waiting for the next big thing.
“I always dreamed of being an actress,” she says as she sips her cup of tea. “For me, it took a lot of courage because I was always very introverted and shy. If I’d given it too much thought I probably wouldn’t have done it.”
Her mother, Sara-Marie Maltha is an actress and four of her seven siblings are also in the film industry. (In Families Like Ours, Amaryllis stars opposite her older sister, Asta.) They all inspired her but she never felt any pressure to take their path.
“But when you see your family in a world that looks so wonderful you want to try yourself,” she explains. “Initially, I dreamed of working behind the camera, as I thought you had to be very extroverted to act. Then I realised that there’s room for everyone if you dare take the plunge.”
“I make films because I love it – it’s my hobby,” says Bille August. The director is pictured here on set with Jeremy Irons (left), in the role of Abbé Faria. Photo: Paolo Modugno.
The Count of Monte Cristo presented the perfect occasion to dive into a fantasy world. Through the August’s lens, it becomes a psychological drama that bares the raw emotions of love, deceit, anger and revenge.
“What makes the story so fascinating is the psychology and interaction of the people which is very precise in Dumas’ novel. We can identify with them because their emotions are realistic,” he says.
INITIALLY, AMARYLLIS was not in the frame as Valentine – but fate was in her favour. When her dad was casting in Italy, France and England he wasn’t satisfied with the selection. So the editor Janus Billeskov told him to check out his daughter in Vinterberg’s new film.
“I asked him if it was OK to see some scenes. He sent me two different ones and I was deeply impressed. I showed them to our producers in Italy and they were ecstatic. Not just because of Amaryllis’ immense qualities but because she was so different from the others. So it was a combination of her great qualities and her uniqueness that made her the best for the part,” smiles August.
Once they started shooting it was business as usual. “When Amaryllis came on the set she was not my daughter. She was an actress whose job was to interpret Valentine.”
Their preparations were thorough. They discussed her part and made adjustments before shooting. Bille also told her not to read the book as it could be confusing. “I spent a lot of time with the cast, especially Robin who plays Max. We wrote love letters to our characters in old fashioned English. Before we filmed we read the letters to each other which strengthened our relation,” says Amaryllis.
“When I put on the dress I became Valentine,” tells Amaryllis who was the only one wearing blue. Her stepmother wore black. Each costume was related to the character. Photo: Jean-Claude Lother.
For the young prodigy, working with two top directors has been a fast learning curve.
“My dad and Thomas Vinterberg are both perfectionists. On the set Bille knows what he wants, and he knows how to explain it, so you shoot a scene four or five times and that’s that. With Thomas it is more playful and experimental – a scene can have 30 takes because none of us were sure of what we wanted. Both methods work. Thomas knows what he wants when he sees it. It’s just different ways to work,”says Amaryllis.
“Was it different to act in English?” her dad interposes. “Psychologically it wasn’t different but it helped me become my character. In Families Like Ours I felt that my character was myself, but I never had that problem with Valentine; she was nothing like me. She’s very pure, she speaks the truth and does what she is told, while hoping for justice. That is the opposite of Edmond Dantès who wants to interfere with God’s will,“ tells Amaryllis who, unlike her seasoned colleagues, is self-taught.
“That makes my acting intuitive which can be more challenging, especially in the most demanding scenes. But I also think that I get an immediacy through my own interpretation,” she muses.
For Bille August the most important thing is that his kids do what they want. “If Amaryllis thinks acting is interesting and playful I hope she’ll have the possibility. But it’s a tough business. There’s so many aspiring actors. The Danish actors guild has 8.000 members – and how many have work? You have to be obsessed and I hope that Amaryllis feels the same.”
“When Amaryllis came on the set she was not my daughter. She was an actress whose job was to interpret Valentine,” tells Bille August. Photo: Jean-Claude Lother
ON THE UPSIDE, the Danish film industry has seen tremendous growth and is brimming with a collaborative and supportive spirit.
“Another thing is, at least among directors, that we are colleagues, not competitors. When I go abroad I really notice the difference. If one of us does well it’s good for everyone. We help each other, we read each other’s scripts and go over the editing. I have a close relation to Thomas Vinterberg which is wonderful and gives a sense of safety and confidence. We’re like an extended family even if we’re all different. I think that’s why Danish films are so successful,” tells Bille August.
He skipped the much talked about Dogma movement of the millennium – a manifesto about going back to the roots of film making, without any props or special effects.
“When I went to film school in 1971 the first handheld cameras were launched, and I can tell you, I did many dogma films. So when Thomas Vinterberg asked me to join I said I’d already done them. But it was a fantastic idea and they made some great movies. And cheated a little bit, I heard,” he smiles with a twinkle.
Despite the many tantalising destinations involved in the filming (interior scenes were filmed in Paris, Turin and Rome to incorporate grand buildings and palaces that were necessary for the plot), for August, home is where his heart is.
“During the making of Monte Cristo I was terribly homesick. I was away for nearly two years. That was a little too long. For me it’s important to have a home base, otherwise you’re in transit all the time,” he says, before Amaryllis chimes in: “I live in Copenhagen and I love having my own place. I get homesick when I travel and I miss the Danish culture. It can be something small like a rye bread sandwich or a stroll along Vesterbrogade. All the things that make us what we are.” ©
The story was published in Vogue Scandinavia.
