by Martin I. Petrov
Midnight special by US director Jeff Nichols, one of the most highly anticipated premieres at the 66th Berlinale Competition tells the story of a father (Michael Shannon) who begins a journey with his eight year old son, convinced that his special powers are of great importance to humanity.
Jeff Nichols, whose previous films Mud and Takeshelter put the dircetor in the spotlight of the film festival circuit, returns to Berlin after his 2007 debut in the Forum section, with Midnight Special competing for the prestigious Golden Bear.
The cast of the film, with Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Joel Edgerton and young Jaeden Liberher presented the film at the official press conference before the world premier last night.
Commenting on his inspiration for the film, Nichols said: "My son was 8 years ofd when I was writing the film. He got sick and we had to go to the hospital. This made me realise that I have not control over many things, I got scared. Midnight special is a way to process this fear." Also, films like E.T. and Starman were among the titles that had always been favourites for the American director, since his early childhood and have definitely had an impact on his filmmaking.
Both Kirsten Dunst and Jaeden Liberher spoke about Nichols' ability to create an atmosphere on set, making it much easier even for his less experienced actors to deliver what he expects in every scene.
The director follows a similar technique of storytelling that he adopted in previous films, especially Take Shelter that resembles a lot the atmosphere and pace of Midnight Special. "Midnight special is an experiment. I followed a technique of removing scenes and information till the entire story sounded and looked better. For character whose background moved the story forward, I've, of course, kept the explanations."
