"The Others" was originally intended to be in Spanish. Why did you decide to change the film to English?
My producers thought the script made more sense in an Anglo-Saxon atmosphere, and it had much more to do with an old Victorian English house than a Mediterranean atmosphere. I haven't decided to do more English language films, it just depends on what my next project will be. I am very fond of English language films but at the same time I think we need to protect the diversity. If I find a story that needs to be filmed in France, I will learn French and go there!
Do you believe in ghosts?
I am agnostic but if I had to believe in ghosts, I'd believe in the kind of ghosts in the film. In this case they are a metaphor, an excuse to talk about other things - relationships, the dark side of family, the way children are taught, whether it's correct or not. Ghosts are just the key.
Why did you chose Nicole Kidman?
I didn't have anyone particularly in mind when I wrote the script in Spanish and was thinking about setting it in South America. Then we decided to translate it to England and Nicole really liked the character. When I met her and saw her eyes I thought they were so powerful, and I hadn't seen that strength and power used before in film. I insisted on using her eyes a lot to get all that energy from her. Now when you see the film, it seems like it was written for her.
Read why Amen谩bar is wise not to direct the upcoming remake of "Open Your Eyes".
