Friday, January 31, 2014

New Rosabotanica Promo Interview with Byrdie


Kristen Stewart will be the first to tell you she leads a double life. Since wrapping the last installment of the blockbuster Twilight saga, she’s sunk her teeth into gritty, not-at-all glamorous roles in On The Road and the Sundance hit Camp X-Ray, where she plays a small-town soldier assigned to Guantanamo Bay. All the while landing a Chanel campaign and working as the face of Balenciaga’s fragrances.

“It’s cool that I have this dual life,” she told us. “I’m very simplistic with my makeup in real life, so on the red carpet I like to push it in the other direction. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it all the way.” Stewart keeps her must-have lipsticks, eye makeup, and brow pencil handy, but it’s super-hydrating skin products that take up the prime real estate in her makeup bag. “I have to moisturize my skin a lot, you can’t go without makeup if your skin looks haggard and crack-y,” she says. “I always think of that scene in Zoolander when he [Ben Stiller] says 'moisture is the essence of beauty,' but it’s so true.”

Stewart prefers to keep her makeup light off-camera, so she works hard to keep her face glowing. “Proactive keeps my skin really clear,” she says. “My biggest thing is to keep my face hydrated and healthy with a lot of moisturizer. I use creams from Dermalogica and Dr. Hauschka."

“I don’t ever use foundation,” Stewart says. She is however, an expert on tinted moisturizer. In her makeup bag you’ll find her mainstay—M.A.C.’s Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15 ($35)—as well as her latest favorite. “I’ve been using Bare Essentials’ Tinted Moisturizer ($30); it’s the lightest one I’ve found,” she says.

“I like doing something cool on the red carpet,” Stewart told us. “So many people go for pretty—and that’s pretty boring,”

“It’s pretty obvious I like a smoky eye,” Stewart says, referring to her many red carpet looks sporting a dark, defined eye. “There’s this eyeliner from Topshop I use, it’s super black and stays in place,” she says. “Every time I go there I buy five of them.” And her mascara of choice? “Right now I’m using one from Bare Essentials.”

Stewart fills in her brows with Anastasia’s Perfect Brow Pencil ($25), but doesn’t dare pick up a pair of tweezers. “I’m so lucky I don’t have to do anything to my brows,” she says. “I’m such a wuss about pain.”

Stewart’s said she didn’t like perfume before becoming the face of Balenciaga’s Florabotanica ($100), so how does the new sister scent stack up? “They have a similar undertone, but Rosabotanica ($100) is sort of warm and musky,” she says. “It’s more worn-in, sort of like the nighttime version.” Now she rotates the two, depending on her mood.

Stewart won’t leave the house without Burt’s Bees Lip Balm ($4) and, if she needs something richer, Aquaphor Healing Ointment ($6). “Aquaphor is the most hardcore moisturizer,” she says. “You can even use it for tattoo care.”

Stewart applies the same ‘all or nothing’ sentiment to her lip color. “I like full on lipstick or nothing at all,” Stewart says. “Stains, gloss, I don’t like any of that.” She favors rich formulas from Chanel: “I’ll do a classic red, pink, and sometimes a red with a little orange in it.”

“It’s great to have a beauty team that I can lend my creative imput to,” Stewart says. “My makeup artists are so fucking good, they’re artists. I work with Beau [Nelson] and Jill [Dempsey] and neither of them ever want to do the same thing twice.”

The one product that never leaves Stewart’s bag? "Bumble and bumble’s Hair Powder ($36),” she says. “It’s a lifesaver.” Like almost every celebrity we interview, Stewart prefers her hair a little dirty. “It’s best on the second or third day,” she says. She also keeps Moroccanoil’s Treatment ($43) on hand. “My ends get mad dry.”

“I don’t like anything too shiny,” Stewart says about her nails. Her favorite colors come from Chanel—and she always tops them with with a matte topcoat. “I really like black nails right now.”

When asked about her beauty icons, Stewart takes a few seconds to think. “Take Patti Smith and add in a little Brigitte Bardot to up the sex factor,” she says. “That’s pretty dope, I’ve got a beauty icon now.”

When Stewart’s exhausted after a long day on set, she reaches for Rohto’s Ice Redness Relief Eye Drops ($7). “They burn,” she says. “Trust me you’ll cry, but then your eyes are so clear and bright after.”

“I love Skinceuticals’ serums,” Stewart says. “They have one that’s for stressed-out skin, one for your pores if you’re breaking out, and then the preventative one for problematic skin. I use a few of them.”

Thursday, January 30, 2014

"Equals" Heading to Berlin Film Festival


The Drake Doremus-directed sci-fi pic, "Equals," that we told you in the fall would star Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult is shaping up, and with financing in hand is now set to head to Berlin's European Film Market next month as a prime sales target. Scott Free has come aboard with Indian Paintbrush to back the film, and Exclusive Media will sell foreign rights at EFM. Nathan Parker (Moon) penned the script, and Doremus was talking up the project when he was doing press for his last pic Breathe In. Steven Rales’ producer/financier Indian Paintbrush has had a relationship with Doremus since his Like Crazy. Stay tuned.

New "Camp X-Ray" Sundance Portraits


imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com

More Portraits in our Sundance Post

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Kristen Confirmed as Lydia for "Still Alice"


EXCLUSIVE: Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth also on board in-demand drama for which Memento has secured several major deals with key territories.

Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin and Kate Bosworth are now confirmed alongside Julianne Moore in Memento Films International’s hot -selling drama Still Alice.

The project was one of the most in-demand at the American Film Market (AFM), with Memento locking pre-sales at the market and since with Curzon for the UK, Splendid’s Polyband for Germany, Icon Film for Australia, Frenetic for Switzerland, Svensk for Scandinavia, Baltics and Iceland, Sun Distribution for Latin America, Falcon Film for Middle East, Bir for Turkey, Golden Scene for Hong Kong, GreenNarae for South Korea to and Catchplay to Taiwan.

Moore will play a renowned professor of neuroscience who discovers she’s suffering from an early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Stewart will play Lydia, her youngest daughter, who bonds with her mother during her illness in a way that was impossible for them before.

Quinceañera directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland will direct the adaptation of Lisa Genova’s bestselling novel of the same name, with production due to get underway in early March in New York City.

Backed by Backup Media and Marie Savare’s new finance venture BSM Studio, producers are Lex Lutzus, Pamela Koffler and James Brown in association with Killer Films. Maria Shriver will serve as executive producer. CAA reps US rights.

Memento’s slate includes BSM-backed Sundance entryCold in July from director Jim Mickle, Asghar Farhadi’s The Past and Natalia Smirnoff’s Lock Charmer.

Memento managing director Emilie Georges toldScreenDaily: “We knew that the project would be met with enthusiastic interest but the market response to the script and package has been incredible.”

New Rosabotanica Promo Interview with Vogue Germany


*Translated using Google*

New York in January 2014. Kristen Stewart - in jeans, tank top and Balenciaga blazer - will be officially unveiled as the face of the new Balenciaga fragrance "Rosabotanica". In an interview with Vogue, she talks about daring rose fragrances, filming in Germany and her penchant for eyeliner

VOGUE: Congratulations, Nicolas Ghesquière has again committed as a testimonial. He is not the only designer who raves about you ...

Kristen Stewart:
Honestly, I can not explain it. But I feel as a muse very comfortable. You meet so many talented people who in turn inspire me. So this is mutual. And I like the creative energy that exists at shoots. It is as if you make a mini movie and has given me a whole new approach to fashion and beauty world.

The shoot for the "Rosabotanica" campaign exotic flowers adorn you. You wear a smokey eye and a loose fitting updo. Onto which styling you put in everyday life?

I like it a lot, to be styled for photo shoots or film premieres. And I like to wear flashy eye make-ups - if they are suitable for the occasion. But to be honest, what you see on the red carpet, is the work of talented stylists. Privately, I guess naturalness. I prefer to wear outfits that are clean and easy. And as absolutely black eyeliner.

Eyeliner is thus the beauty product without having to not go out of the house?
I do not wear much makeup. That was never a big deal for me. But black eyeliner I have always with me. A great product because you can vary it so.

Your favorite look?

Blurred in Undone look. I always wash my face at night, but my eyes I never put make-up on. It looks the next morning just to look good!

On what occasions you wear perfume?

Before I was a testimonial, I did not have much experience with perfume. The fresh scent of roses "Florabotanica" quickly became my companion for the day. I have often placed him. It's nice now to have an alternative. "Rosabotanica" I put preferably on the evening. The spicy and sensual composition is somehow daring. So perfect for going out.

What are you working at the moment?

I just presented at the Sundance Film Festival to my new film "Camp X-Ray". It was so great to seeing the film crew. I like the festival very much - cool people and independent films. And soon I begin filming in New York "Still Alice", an exciting new project. Julianne Moore will play my mother who suffers from Alzheimer's. I love Julianne, she is a wonderful actress!

In 2014 "Sils Maria" will be in the cinema, which was partly filmed in Berlin. How did you like the city?

We have worked very much, but I was fortunate enough to watch a little time to me the city. I love Berlin! It's such a dynamic and unique city. We film in Sils Maria, it's beautiful there!

You visit premieres, turning in New York and as a beauty ambassador on the road - what you want yet for the new year?

I have made an unplanned extended break. I therefore hope for 2014 professional challenges. There is nothing better than to do things that you love.

New Rosabotanica Promo Interview w/NY Mag's The Cut


"Kristen, you have a little something in your hair," one of Kristen Stewart's people says during our interview in her hotel room, flicking a little piece of fuzz out of her side-parted hair. She turns back to me, mock-yelling. "Thanks a lot! You weren't going to tell me it was there?" Stewart is nonchalant about the fuzz because 1. Her hair looks glossy and good anyway; and 2. She doesn't spend much time thinking about beauty. Throughout our interview about her beauty routine and her repeat involvement with Balenciaga as the face of its new fragrance, Rosabotanica, Stewart has to resist the urge to air-quote the word beauty. The Cut talked to Stewart about her preference for puffy faces, gardenias, and hatred for hotel shampoo.


How do you use scent as part of your acting process?


Whenever I encounter a product that I’ve used on a previous movie, it will take me right back. [Snaps.) Sometimes there will be things I can’t use, even though it might work for a beauty regimen or something that works for the character. I’ll literally have to find another product to use.


So, something like really basic dry shampoo. I used it on The Runaways, and Joan uses that as well. I couldn’t use it anymore. I was just too reminiscent. Also certain lotions, and Rosebud, that chapstick in a tub? Rosebud lip salve. I used that on some movie when I was younger and then I used it again. And then it was likeWhoa. It was too much. But with fragrance, no, it’s not a huge part of my process.


What was your first scent memory?


My favorite flower is a gardenia. My grandma had a big gardenia bush. And gardenias aren’t that common. When you find them, it’s always like, Oh, nice. And it’s my favorite flower now too, because of that.


How was the creative process for Florabotanica different than Rosabotanica?


My involvement didn’t change much, to be honest. I get to use it. I have nothing to do with making the fragrance. I just get to stand by and watch people do awesome things. I’m really close with Nicolas [Ghesquière] and this whole story behind it has been really cool. You don’t always find, in fashion, such developed stories. Sometimes it’s a bit more about how something looks, and ends there. Or with fragrance, this is a pretty picture and sells this perfume. This is a little more fun because it is about telling a story. That’s whyI’m into it and why I got into acting.


Florabotanica and Rosabotanica have the same setting. But with Rosabotanica, it’s about someone who has turned from a wide-eyed, yet hungry, fresh, green person. It’s someone who has been in this extreme environment and survived it. She’s grown with it. She’s taken the aspects she’s appreciated out of that environment and ignored the rest. She becomes a part of her environment instead of becoming this Alice in Wonderland type of girl who’s looking around and doesn’t recognize anything. It’s growing on her.


What has surprised you about scent?


Probably that I like it? I was never really a fan of the idea of putting on some synthetic scent. I didn’t like the idea of it. But when I started using it, it became a part of me. It felt natural.


Some perfumes just smell awful. They smell like your grandmother. This one never did to me. I genuinely use Flora all the time. Rosabotanica is a deeper scent to me than Flora. In this one, the rose is pretty strong. It’s [a] muskier fragrance. It’s the nighttime version, more serious. This is vague and kind of silly, but it’s like New York versus L.A. Or night versus day. Or red versus white. It’s the darker version of it.


I saw you got rid of your cornrows.


Yeah, I took those out literally yesterday. They last about a week or so, if you are hard on your hair, which I am. I’ll re-do it at some point. I liked having it. It’s comfortable and keeps my hair out of my face. And I liked the way it looked. But you need to re-do it once a week, or else it will start to look gross. They were fuzzy.


What is your beauty routine like?


I use Proactiv. It works. It’s really good. I’ve used it for a long time. I’m reliant on it. I use their three-step [system]. And I try to moisturize more than I ever had. Apparently, that’s good for you. That’s about it. I drink a lot of water. Like, if you don’t drink water, you look awful. If you do, that’s a huge part of my “beauty” regimen, I guess.


I use mascara, eyeliner, and maybe some concealer. Chapstick. I don’t like color on my lips unless I’m doing full-on.


I don’t do much with my hair. When I’m working, I treat it so often. There’s heat or color on it. When I’m not working, I just like to let it be healthy. I don’t wash it every day. I like to switch up my shampoo. I like Kerastase a lot. I like using, going back and forth, using fully organic. People give me a lot of shampoo and conditioner, so I’m always like, what is that? I don’t always necessarily know what I’m using.


So you’re not using hotel shampoo.


I hate when I forget shampoo and I have to use it. Only because afterwards it feels bone-dry.


Or it feels limp.


Or that. And flat. Totally.


How do you view beauty and your beauty regimen as part of your day-to-day routine?


I’m super lucky because my job allows me to have fun and take things to the extremes. When I’m not working, I have a really basic regimen. I don’t think too much about my clothes [gesturing]. I don’t wear a lot of makeup. I’m always striving to get to the point where I look like I’ve woken up in the last hour. You know that look you get when you’re fresh-faced? You’re a little puffy but looking really good? That’s what I like.


How do you keep that going throughout the day?


I mean. It doesn’t. But that’s okay. I just like it when people look like they’re not trying. And the only way to do that is by not trying.

New Rosabotanica Promo Interview with Marie Claire UK


Kristen Stewart is a red carpet natural, gracing the press pens with such elegance and ease – but the star admits that she hasn't always been so comfortable with her style choices. While talking to the A-list actress in New York last week, we grilled her on style, beauty, and whether she has any wardrobe regrets (surely not) as she prepares to launch her latest partnership with Balenciaga, Rosabotanica.


We asked K-Stew if she ever looks back and regrets any of her style statements, to which she replied: "Yeah, totally. Let’s see. Defnitely, I mean I’ve been doing it for a while so I’ve definitely seen fashions and been like 'woah.'"
She added: "It shouldn’t be embarrassing because I was so young, but it doesn’t even matter how young you are, you’re just so, so embarrassed."

We can't imagine Kristen has anything to be embarrassed about when it comes to sartorial choices. But she said: "I think the pictures that they took at the premiere of Panic Room. It’s like a popular image to show from when I was younger, you know, like 'She was a kid!' And I look at that and I’m like 'Oh... my... gosh.'"

"I had like these baby hairs and I was being weird about them, so I was like, 'I’m just gonna cut them off.' And I had like these little things like poking out from under my hair and behind my ears, and a ridiculous outfit. I did not know how to get dressed up at that age at all, I didn’t even know what I liked. I was just like completely… a goofy kid.

"But it’s just funny to see like that goofy kid version – [because] when I should really be looking at old school photos, I’m looking at a red carpet photo."


Kristen walked the red carpet alongside her co-star and life-long friend Jodie Foster back in 2002 when she was just 12 years old. A blonde, timid actress with the world – and plenty of exciting fashion collaborations – at her feet. As well as her Balenciaga deal, the star last month landed a contract as the latest face of Chanel. And we doubt it'll be her last.

She told us: "I definitely look back and think, 'Oh that wasn’t my best choice,' or that it was so obvious that I wasn’t comfortable in that. But at the same time, you know, I liked it then – you can’t really have too many regrets.

"It is a good feeling though, when you get it right and you can walk tall. It shows, everyone can see that."


Wise words indeed, Kristen Stewart.

Monday, January 27, 2014

New Balenciaga Rosabotanica Promo Interview with NSMBL


NSMBL got the chance to talk to Kristen Stewart about her newest collaboration and her personal favourites, something that was hard to refuse of course! We were allowed to ask the beautiful actress, who just became the face of the new scent ‘Rosabotanica’ by Balenciaga, all kinds of questions. Kristen has started to like the fashion industry more and finds it more interesting, and she is very proud of her new campaign. Curious to see how the production happened behind the scenes, which products Kristen likes to use and how she feels about constantly being in the spotlight? You’ll see and read it here.

How does it feel to be chosen by such an iconic brand, Balenciaga, to become the face of the new perfume Rosabotanica?
It’s really incredible. I immediately took the chance to work with Nicolas Formicetti (I think they got the wrong name here, doesn’t she mean Nicolas Ghesquière?); I met him during a photo-shoot when I was very young and he was the one who showed me how creative and unique fashion can be. When he called me for this product, I was very enthusiastic. It’s really cool because I usually make movies and this is not really my area. In this way I can combine the best of both.

In what way does this perfume fit your personality?
I sincerely think it’s a wonderful scent; Florabotanica (predecessor of Rosabotanica) I have used for a while now. When I was younger, I didn’t often wear perfume but this perfume showed me that it can really complete your look. I love using Florabotanica in the morning, it’s more natural and light. Rosabotanica is very similar, but it is more daring and stronger and it’s ideal for nights, to go to a party or dinner for example.

Have you ever made a beauty/fashion blunder, for example by following a trend or wearing something you just don’t like anymore?
When I started in the world of red carpets and events I was still so young; when I look back now to what I was wearing then, I think ‘What was I thinking’ but it’s what I liked at that moment. When I was a child I really had no idea, which is actually kind of cute. I dressed like a little boy, which made me look a lot like my brother.

What are your favourite products that you use regularly?
A good moisturizer is very important, I love Dermalogica and Dr. Hauscka – and I also use Proactiv. Besides that I love dry shampoo and hair powder to volumize my hair. It’s not good to wash your hair frequently. It’s actually just important to stay healthy. Get exercise, eat well and every once in a while some green juice for an energy boost. I don’t really use a lot of make-up; at most I use a tinted moisturize because it’s better for your skin than a foundation.

What is the last thing you bought that you got really excited about?
Probably a pair of good sneakers. I don’t usually get excited from buying beauty products; usually more from a nice jacket or shoes.

How does it feel to be a beauty and fashion icon?
Thankfully it all went very naturally, it’s not something I really stop and think about daily. I realise that it’s very special that I get to wear the most beautiful dresses to events and that I’m meeting so many creative and interesting people. Some people don’t even realise how cool they are; you have those people who walk into a room and can fill that room with their energy. It’s really an honour to work with those people and be a part of the industry.

Is it sometimes scary to know that the whole world is watching you and judging everything you do and wear?
You can never make everybody happy, that’s something that I’ve really learned. My goal is to consciously try not to try to make everyone happy. If that’s something you want to accomplish in your life it’s really scary: you can never please everybody. As long as you make your own decision and do thing because it feels good to you, there will always be people who agree and people who don’t. It actually doesn’t even matter. Because at the end of the day, who really gives a shit what dress I’m wearing?

Sunday, January 26, 2014

BTS Pictures of "Camp X-Ray"

Elle UK Mini Interview


Last year ELLE interviewed Kristen Stewart, and being a beauty interview the discussion naturally turned to hair. Back then she told us that her next experimental hairstyle would be cornrows, the exact hairstyle she debuted at the Sundance film festival this weekend,

You see Stewart isn’t afraid of experimenting with her hair for the sake of her art, "I’m pretty much open to anything – if I really loved the part I’d do anything. You know, hair grows, relatively speaking it doesn’t take that long in exchange for a good experience so I think it’s worth it,”' she told ELLE UK. "I’ve been blonde, dark, I’ve had reddish hair, short, long. I run the gamut, you know."

Despite her dedication to the cause, in her own time she prefers low-commitment styles that aren’t so try-hard.

"Last year everyone started shaving the side of their head. I’m shooting for a couple of days in New York but then at the end of November I’m done for the year. I’m going to get a couple of tight cornrows put in. It almost gives the impression of no hair so I’m stoked about that,"said the star. "I think a shaved head is a little forced, but the cornrows gives you the effect without the commitment."

Kristen at Sundance 2014 for "Camp X-Ray"

Premiere

"Read More" for Photos/Portraits/Fan Pics/Videos & Interviews

Style.com Interview for Balenciaga's Rosabotanica


Sitting down with Kristen Stewart, I knew I wasn’t in for an interview with your typical, perky perfume spokeswoman who wants to pose for selfies and gab about her go-to mascara (although I asked). She was surprisingly real—wearing a black Balenciaga leather jacket, no nail polish, and her signature mussed-up waves. She was also very candid about the fact that what you see on the red carpet is the product of a talented team—she wakes up with “raccoon eyes” just like the rest of us. And if you’re wondering: She smiled and laughed. Here, Stewart reveals her thoughts on the new Rosabotanica fragrance from Balenciaga (for which she is the face) and the two things you’ll never see her wear.

What do you like most about Rosabotanica?
It’s the perfect counterpart to Florabotanica, which I really grew to love and use constantly. I haven’t had much experience with fragrance, so it’s nice to expand my collection—even though I’m at two right now. It’s slightly warmer and a bit more bold; you get a lot of the rose in there. I might wear it at night versus day.

Where do you spritz it?
Classic spots: two under the neck and one over what I’m wearing so it stays on the clothes. Neither of them is too in-your-face—Florabotanica even less than Rosa.

Before you were introduced to Balenciaga, what was your go-to scent?
This is where I started. I started doing this when I was 22 or something. Possibly 21. I hadn’t really experimented with using fragrance.

So there wasn’t even a bit of Curve or cucumber melon body mist in the mix as a teenager?
No, I wasn’t that type of teenager. I started off well [she said, pointing to the fragrance].

Growing up in a family of all boys, how did you learn about beauty?
Sort of by default. It was never a huge priority for me when I was younger. It was something I had to do for my job and something that I always strained to do. I think I noticed a pointed difference in how I approached this whole world when I met Nicolas [Ghesquière] on a photo shoot. It was really concept-oriented, beautiful, and elaborate—the same energy I really appreciate on a movie set was on this photo shoot [with Bruce Weber for Interview]. [Nicolas] was so awesome and driven and clearly a very talented artist. He opened my eyes to that side of things. I would probably be a very different version of myself without [all this]. It pulls out slightly more buried sides of you. I grew up as a full-on tomboy—looked like a boy until I turned 15.

Somehow, I don’t think that’s possible.
Dude, you could not decipher between my brother and me.

Was your hair really short?
Yeah. I wore his clothes, full on didn’t care at all about anything—I realized I was a girl when I turned 14. It’s been a slow, steady progression, but looking at things now from the outside, I’m super into it. I like the extremes of [beauty]—I like that you can go really hard to one side or the other. I don’t like that middle ground that’s deemed “pretty” [she said, using air quotes].

We often see you in a smoky eye, but rarely a bright lip. Why?
I like a nude lip more, but I don’t like anything in between. So you’re right, if I’m going to do a lip, I’m going to do a lip. I’m going to do a really bold, deep color—usually red. Usually it coincides with the outfit; it depends on what I’m wearing. When it works, I think it really works.

What is the best beauty tip you’ve ever learned?
Water and sleep.

I suppose both are a rare indulgence for all of us.
If you think about it and you’re feeling kinda rough, if you just give yourself a nice week of treating yourself really well, you’ll look better. This is so lame—my answers are ridiculous right now—but if you’re happy, you look better. If you stay positive—negative people just walk around and…

Yep, nobody likes a negative Nancy.
The only reason I’m saying this is because I genuinely don’t have these beauty tips, but I try not to wash my hair so much because it gets dry. And that’s about it.

So how do you get your perfectly undone waves?
Well, my hairstylist woke up really early…I don’t really like to use too much heat on my hair when I’m not working. I think he used a few loose curlers and sort of [finger-combed] and used a little bit of hairspray. My hair was really clean, too, which usually I don’t like. I like to add volume with dry shampoo and mousse—I like to gunk it up. So I’m feeling fresh today!

You’ve had various hair colors, ranging from blond to black. Which do you think suits your personality best?
Probably brown hair. When I’m blond, I feel very blond. I like having darker hair, but to have jet-black hair, it is a thing. It becomes your look a little bit. I like to stay neutral. When I’m not working, I like to be ready to sort of—it sounds lame—but transform. If I’m ever definitively something, I’m always like, Oh, God, well now I’m going to have to change that soon anyway. It’s always very fleeting.

You’re famous for your porcelain complexion. What’s your secret?
I use the Proactiv [three-step system]. It really works for me. I’ve used it since I was a teenager and I just sort of kept it going. And if I stop [my skin] will go crazy. Maybe that’s not true, but I’m just going to hold onto it while it’s working. I try to moisturize a little bit more because it has a tendency to dry your skin out a little bit. I like Dr. Hauschka and Dermalogica [products].

Do you have any tricks for getting a smoky eye—at least when you’re doing it yourself?
Yes, that’s a very different situation. I’m actually really lucky because I don’t have to do much makeup because I have raccoon eyes—they are so dark. It’s good and bad for me—it’s not just the top, it’s the bottom, too. That I roll with. I use concealer for the bottom. I use black eyeliner and mascara messily, smudge it, and literally that’s it.

What are your go-to goods for that look?
I switch it around often. I’m given a lot of makeup, so I just use what I have. I’m not that specific. It’s fun when you do find something that really is awesome.

So what’s an example of a product that’s really awesome?
There’s actually this [black] eyeliner from Topshop. It’s inexpensive, really good—I buy five of them at a time because they stop making stuff like that. You’ll find something you really dig, and then it’s gone.

What is your biggest beauty mistake?
There have definitely been a few because I’ve been doing this stuff since I was so young. Literally, at 12 or 13 I was walking my first few red carpets. So I bet if I looked back through a few of those photos…I mean, it doesn’t really matter because I was 12, 13, or 14, so it’s hard to harshly judge myself—but I’m like, What were you thinking?! But I do take credit for all of it, the good and the bad. I was into it then, so there ya go.

Gotta own it. So who is your beauty icon now?
I just worked with Juliette Binoche, and really, it’s alarming almost, her beauty. When she walks into a room, people gravitate toward her. You can’t help but look at her. This might sound a little ridiculous, but genuinely she has a grace that’s undeniable. She’s really a woman to look up to. She’s amazing.

Is there something you would never try, like, say, teal eyeshadow?
I feel like I’ve done teal eyeshadow! I probably wouldn’t do black lipstick, unless we were doing some weird, high-concept shoot, which could be cool.

Never say never, I guess.
I don’t like peplums [she says with gusto]. It’s insane that they exist. There are one or two things that the stylist I’ve worked with since I was kid, since I was literally 13, will never get me in—like a high-heeled boot.

Wait, why?
They’re great on other people. I just have this very odd aversion to high-heeled boots and peplums.

Hey, everyone has their thing. What was it like to play a female soldier in Camp X-Ray?
She’s an interesting girl, that character, because the times where she feels most comfortable and most like herself is definitely when she’s in uniform. So trying to find her outside of uniform was interesting because it was very bare, but not necessarily in a good way. She has to build herself up a little bit before that vulnerability is an attractive quality. Every time she put on the uniform, it was like you bind the hair, you wear no makeup, don’t pluck your eyebrows, and you take any chance of being considered pretty away. It’s like you’re not going to think about it, it’s not even an option. My makeup artist was awesome. She added a lot of freckles and made me a little bit sun-damaged—it was really subtle, you wouldn’t notice unless I said it. Then you’d be like, Wow, I can’t believe that’s makeup.

So I assume that meant less time in hair and makeup every day?
It was really quick. It was pretty amazing.

Of all the characters you’ve played over the years, whose beauty look do you identify with the most?
It’s tough because the characters I’ve played are very specific and slightly extreme, like the ones who actually have definitive looks—like Joan [Jett]. Some of the other parts that I’ve played are just very normal, just a girl. In a very boring way, just because I’m fairly simple and practical—I’m sure people will love this—but Bella in Twilight is pretty straightforward. And to be honest, that’s very much like who I am. At the same time, if I think about what I aspire to…all of the characters in On the Road, as much as it’s a period piece and it’s hard to identify with the specific clothes, the garments themselves, the way they wore them is so cool. We’re not used to wearing dresses and stockings, but they were. So it was taking those things and making it look like it’s not formal in any way. I like things that look lived-in.

As long as they’re not a peplum or a high boot.
Absolutely not.

Balenciaga Promo Interview & Photos w/PopSugar Beauty

imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com
Kristen Stewart looks like an edgy Disney princess. Sitting across from her at a posh suite decorated with her recent campaign for Balenciaga's Florabotanica fragrance at the Bowery Hotel in NYC, I am taken in by her charisma. She has creamy (dare I say snowy) white skin that she credits to her lifelong addiction to Proactiv, soulful green eyes outlined with a smudge of smoky eye shadow, and a curvaceous rose-hued mouth. Juxtaposing her delicate features is her enviably naturally beach-textured hair, casually thrown to one side and spilling over her light denim button-down, which she paired with dark denim jeans. If she passed me on the street in a hat, sunglasses, and puffy coat, I would probably mistake her for another petite brunette New Yorker. She's that girl-next-door.

But as I mentioned, she's undeniably charming — as she earnestly answers all my beauty questions, I feel myself rooting for her just as I've rooted for her many famous characters (Bella Swan from Twilight, Snow White from Snow White and the Huntsman, and so on). She's undoubtably an A-list movie star of the young Hollywood set, and being in the spotlight has made her a style icon known for her edgy sartorial choices. With her second Balenciaga campaign under her belt, she is eager to talk all things grooming, including her all-or-nothing attitude toward red lips, the key ingredient to her effortlessly cool mane, and which male celebrity may be inspiring her next hairstyle.

POPSUGAR: You’ve been the face of Balenciaga for a few seasons now. What draws you back to the house?

Kristen Stewart: Following through with the telling of the whole story — the basis of where the perfume lives. Nicolas [Ghesquière] started with Florabotanica and the idea that girl was traversing this dangerous but beautiful and exotic garden. And she was sort of extracting these scents and becoming herself. And it continued and the story was just awesome and interesting. We always planned on following through with it.

PS: What was it like shooting the new campaign?

KS: It was fun and cool. The imagery that is on my body was physically there. The flowers were all handmade, perfectly formed paper flowers. It was cool to see those in person.

PS: Explain the decision to go topless for it?

KS: It was just about being simple. We had no intention of suggesting that I was completely naked. It was just about making it about the fragrance and the imagery.

PS: How would you describe your beauty look in the ad?

KS: It was taking something clean and making it slightly more mature and a little bit more daring. The first ad was really clean makeup and not much going on. In this one, it’s a bit more forward.

PS: Do you have your own perfume-wearing or spritzing technique?

KS: I like two shots right here [points to both sides of her neck] after I take a shower. I like to do one over my clothes, too — it stays on longer.

PS: What does the Balenciaga Rosabotanica fragrance ($52) smell like to you?

KS: Everyone has a slightly different impression of it, but my take on it is that it’s a little muskier than Florabotanica ($50), but it feels related. It’s a little warmer. You can really pick up the rose. I don’t wear much fragrance. I don’t have a collection of perfumes, so I am glad to have both of them because they are really very different. This one feels more night, and the other one definitely feels more day.

PS: Every girl is jealous of your natural, beachy hair texture. Describe your hair routine.

KS: I like surf spray. I don’t do much. I’m lucky, I don’t have to mess around with blowdryers and stuff. I use dry shampoo and surf spray and mess it up as much as I can. To get texture, I basically crunch it up — it’s not too difficult to achieve. [Laughs] My hairstyle is sort of messy.

PS: You seem to be drawn to more dramatic eye makeup on the red carpet. Why do you like to play up your eyes?

KS: Typically, I am pretty plain and not too concerned with makeup and stuff. I dress really practically, so when I do red carpet things, I like to go extreme on the other side of it. I really like working with people who love what they do and are a bit more bold. If you’re going to do that job, it’s always more interesting to find wrists and not people who just want to get it done. It can be fun to find different aspects of myself since it’s not usually what I do.

PS: Who are your favorite beauty pros to work with?

KS: I work with Jill Dempsey and Beau Nelson. They are my go-to [makeup artists].

PS: Would you ever try a bold lip for the red carpet?

KS: I like going plain, like a nude lip or a full-on [one]. I don’t like anything in between. I don’t like doing tints. I like doing a full-on red lip or nothing.

PS: Right now, everyone is going really dark and vampy or rocking purples, like Lorde. Would you be interested in trying those types of trendy lip colors?

KS: I do really like that on other people. It’s awesome. I’m really white. I would try it for sure. But I think…who knows…I could change and get crazy. I’m really into red or nothing. I’m kind of strict about that.

PS: What’s your favorite red lipstick?

KS: To be honest, Chanel makes really great red lipstick. I can’t remember all the shades. but a few are awesome.

PS: Let’s talk about that faux undercut you rocked during the Sundance Film Festival. It was such a cool twist!

KS: Aw, thanks dude. I really do like it when people do that — the whole shaved thing looks cool to me. But I didn’t want to shave my head, and I also thought it was cool to do a take on it. I had to work all day so I wanted something that would stay. It was literally cornrows.

PS: Would you ever get the It haircut — a short style like a bob or lob?

KS: Yeah, definitely. I have always wanted to get a full-on boy cut. When a girl does it — even if it’s a little masculine — it still usually looks like a girl cut. I want to do just a full on boy cut.

PS: Who would be your inspiration for that?

KS: Maybe this is a little lame, but straight-up James Dean. Like old-school. It would be pretty cool.

PS: I bet everyone would copy it if you did it. Do you have a beauty icon?

KS: If you took aspects of Patti Smith and put Bridget Bardot in the mix made it really sexy — that is what I aspire to.

PS: How has your beauty look changed over time, especially since you came into the spotlight?

KS: I’ve always — with everything — gone with my instincts about things. I can put more stock in my instincts now because I know myself a little bit better. I typically have an easier time finding exactly what I like and what I’m comfortable in. You do it for a couple of years and you know what you gravitate towards.

PS: Do you feel like you have more of a say now?

KS: No…I don’t know if people have this idea that you’re told to do things and wear things — and maybe some people are — I’ve been lucky and always worked with really good people. I can definitely take credit for all of the good and the bad (laughs). I have definitely had to wear a lot of dresses.

PS: What goes into your skin-care routine?

KS: I actually use Proactiv. I’ve used it forever. When I was a teenager and had skin problems, it was awesome and I feel like I am addicted to it now. I feel like if I stop, I will get skin problems again. You see all of these commercials and stuff, and I am definitely an honorary spokesperson. I think it’s awesome, and I talk about it a lot.

PS: Which of your past characters aligns most with your own beauty look?

KS: It was fun to play Joan Jett [in The Runaways]. She is a huge style icon — for me, personally, and just in general. That was so specific. But it was fun to step into her shoes because she is so extreme. The most “me” was probably — oh, man — that’s the thing, I am really simple. I loved doing On the Road. That’s a period piece, and I don’t specifically identify with the clothes I was wearing. was more the style in which we wore them, the mood of it. I like thing being a little worn-in. They’re all really comfortable in what they’re wearing, and they’re not really thinking about it, but they love it. That’s usually what I go for.

PS: What three beauty products could you not live without?

KS: I honestly wear eyeliner, black mascara, and ChapStick. I mean dry shampoo is sometimes godsend.

PS: Favorite brands?

KS: I typically use stuff that’s given to me. Like my makeup artists both have lines, which are great, and I use their eyeliners all the time. One of my favorite ones is from Topshop. It’s just great. It lasts and works really well. For dry shampoo, I like Bumble & Bumble Prêt-à-Powder ($26), like the loose powder not the spray. I like the powder, because I feel like I look like I’m going gray when I use the spray.

PS: Do you wash your hair often? Dry shampoo junkies often don’t.

KS: Every couple of days but definitely not every day. It’s really not good for your hair to wash it every day. I try to not do that, because my hair gets dry really easily. And I work every day so when we treat it, I have to be nice to it…and wow, this was a serious beauty interview [laughs]!

HQ Pictures thanks to kstewartfans

Balenciaga Promo Interview & Photos w/Into The Gloss



imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com imagebam.com

“If you looked at pictures of me when I was 14 or 15, you couldn’t tell the difference between me and my brothers. I looked like a boy, fully. I really like extremes. I wear jeans and t-shirts and am a total tomboy, but at the same time, when I pull out all the stops [for an event], I want to fucking go for it, polarized in the other direction from my reality. Everything Balenciaga makes is beautiful; watching their runway shows is like watching a movie. But wearing it is not the easiest thing. It’s tough to integrate that type of thing into your life. But when you can do it—wear something unexpected, with your personal style—it’s incredibly badass.

I still really don’t know how to do my own makeup. I do the same thing every day, if I do my own: mascara and black eyeliner. I’m a bit of a raccoon—I already have dark eyes—so I just make them a little bit darker. One of my makeup artists, Jill Dempsey, made an eyeliner that I really dig, but I don’t think she’s making any more, which is a bummer. I just use whatever black liner. There’s a pencil that you can get at Topshop that’s cheap, so I’ll get, like, five of them, and they last forever and they’re really, really good. I do both the top and bottom line and then just smudge it with my finger. I don’t have a favorite mascara, genuinely. I like it clumpy, though—I’ll use anything if it’s clumpy, black, and it works. I don’t mind it being really cakey and heavy.

If I’m being responsible, I’ll wash my face, but I never take off my eyeliner or my mascara because it looks so good the next day. It’s a continuous thing; I think I’ve never really had clean eyes. [Laughs] For my skin, I use the whole Proactiv system. It really, really works for me; I’ve used it since I was a teenager, a young teenager. I feel like I’m a total spokesperson for them because it really did help me and I’m always telling people, ‘Oh, dude!’ and mentioning it in interviews, but I can’t imagine doing one of their commercials. I don’t think they’d want me to, to be honest. Better in print. [Laughs]

If I wasn’t an actor, I would definitely do things to my hair. I would cut it more, I would dye it more. At some point I want to do a total boy cut, completely—not a pretty, girly version—like a straight up James Dean haircut. And then, I’m definitely going to shave my head before I die. I will definitely tattoo my head while it’s shaved before my hair grows back. I’m not sure which part, probably the bottom quadrant in the back. I don’t know what the tattoo would be, yet. Still thinking.

I try not to force anything. For a shoot, if you can find one or two things that make you genuinely smile, it helps, rather than trying to think about taking beautiful photos. Because, in the moment, you’re literally so surrounded, you can’t think about every angle. I just try to breathe through it. It’s not my favorite thing, but I’ve gotten better than when I was younger. If you feel comfortable, you’ll look comfortable. For example, I feel like when I put my arm up, I’m not comfortable. That’s like a, ‘Oh, fuck, I don’t know what to do with myself’ look. Usually, if I’m feeling it and I’m comfortable, hands are down. I try to act natural.

I, personally, want to stay neutral so that I’m in a perfect position to, it sounds lame, but to transform myself for a role. If a project comes up and I’ve already got a shaved head, it would be a problem; I hate wearing wigs. But the way I choose roles anyway is very gut-oriented.

As long as I feel solid about my creative choices, people can have whatever image or perception of me that they’d like. You can’t think that someone’s impression of you is wrong—it’s their impression—and, therefore, you really can’t worry about it. So many people have developed their impressions based on fucking bullshit, and you’ll never do anything true to yourself, you’ll never make the art you want to make, if you’re concerned about that. At the same time, I’m a 23 year-old. I like clothes, but that’s not because I’m like, ‘Oh my god! I need to stay relevant!’ [Laughs]”

—as told to ITG

Kristen Stewart photographed by Emily Weiss in New York on January 24, 2014. In addition to being more awesome in person than you even imagined, Kristen is the face of Balenciaga's newest fragrance, Rosabotanica.

Source/Pics thanks to kstewartfans

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

New Interview w/Kristen on "Equals"


Kristen Stewart has signed on to play the lead in "Like Crazy" director Drake Doremus' futuristic love story "Equals," and it's making her a nervous wreck.

"I can't believe I agreed to do it," said the "Twilight" actress about her upcoming role in the sci-fi drama, which also stars Nicholas Hoult of the upcoming "X-Men: Days of Future Past."

Stewart describes "Equals" as a slightly updated version of the 1956 film "1984," based on George Orwell's classic 1949 novel about rebellion in a repressed futuristic society. "Equals" begins filming later this year.

"I'm terrified of it," said the 23-year-old actress in a recent interview. "Though it's a movie with a really basic concept, it's overtly ambitious."

"In 'Equals,' things go wrong because you can't deny the humanity in everyone," said Stewart. "It's the most devastating story."

Adds Doremus of his sixth film: "It's about love in a world where love really doesn't exist anymore."

Written by Nathan Parker ("Moon"), "Equals" is the first film Doremus will direct that he didn't write himself.

"I trust Drake's process and I know we will do something really natural and real," said Stewart. "But I told Drake, 'Don't expect that I am going to be able to do this. It's too hard.' But he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I've given directors disclaimers before, but never this much."

Jennifer Lawrence, who appeared in 2011's "Like Crazy," was one of the first actresses to read Parker's script. Though the story brought her to tears, she couldn't see herself in the role, said Doremus.

"It became evident in my head that Nick and Kristen would have great chemistry," the director said.

"It's a love story of epic, epic, epic proportion," added Stewart. "I'm scared."

This week, the actress heads to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where she'll star in writer-director Peter Sattler's soldier film "Camp X-Ray."

Source Via

Monday, January 13, 2014

Q&A with "Camp X-Ray" Director Peter Sattler


Q: In your own words can you describe what this film is about? 

At its most basic level, CAMP X-RAY is a story about two people trapped in a very strange place that manage to find a connection with each other. But of course, it’s about a lot of other things too. It’s about a young woman who leaves her home for the first time. A woman who joins the army to find purpose, only to end up in a place where that purpose couldn’t be less pure. It’s about a man desperate to reach out beyond his world as well. To experience something outside the routine of his tiny cell.

Q: What was the inspiration for CAMP X-RAY?

It all started with the book cart. I saw some documentary footage of a guard and a detainee arguing about the different books on the library cart. Their exchange was so mundane, so idiosyncratic, so utterly ridiculous given the context of where they were. And in that exact moment, I could see an entire film. One hallway, two people, and the utterly absurd relationship that they are forced to have. And that’s what I was drawn to. I just wanted to put those two characters in a room and see what they said to each other, which is very much the way I started writing. Having no direction at all. Just dropping them in a test tube and seeing what words came out of their mouths. And the more banal their conversation, the more interested I was in it, because it was the absurdity of these moments that most perfectly captured my feelings on Guantanamo Bay. I very much wanted to paint our portrayal of this place in stark absurdist colors.

Q: Why did you decide to set the film at Guantanamo?

Guantanamo is a fascinating place to me, and it’s a place I knew very little about before I started researching it. So part of my attraction was to explore untrodden territory. To make a movie about something you haven’t seen before. But at its core, this movie isn’t really about Guantanamo as much as it is about the PEOPLE who are down there. It’s not a political film; it’s a deeply human one.

The setting of Gitmo really serves as the pressure cooker that amplifies and complicates a very personal relationship between two strangers who are forced to find a way to live together.

Q: Can you talk about the casting process and how you ended up working with Kristen, Payman and the rest of the cast?

We started with a Hail Mary to Kristen. It was certainly a long shot, but she was absolutely perfect for the role, so we had to try. Her character requires a lot of acting without words, a lot of living in the moment, and that is something Kristen absolutely excels at. Her character also needed a mixture of toughness and vulnerability which, to me, are traits that she embodies perfectly. So we got the script to Ken Kaplan, her agent, who, much to his credit, sent it on to her, and a few weeks later we sat down to talk about the film. And in that first meeting, I was blown away by her approach to the material, her dedication to the details, and her passion for independent cinema. I think we could both tell that we were pointing in the same direction, so off we went. It all happened pretty quickly by Hollywood standards.

Payman’s a funny story. I adored his performance in the Academy Award winning Iranian film, A Separation, but he was so stern in that role, I didn’t see him as our loud-mouthed detainee. We scheduled a video chat with him in Iran anyway, and the moment he popped up on my screen, everything was different. He was the most buoyant, vibrant man you’ll ever meet, he talked a mile a minute. I loved him, and the fact that he was so different in A Separation just testified to his incredible range as an actor. I remember that night very vividly because I couldn’t get Payman out of my head. I knew that he had to be the one.

But first I needed to see what they were like together. The entire movie hinges on their relationship. So we arranged another video chat, and the second they started speaking, it was like they were already their characters. Payman was talking and talking and talking, and Kristen was kind of quietly listening to him, wryly observing, chiming in, Payman would coax a laugh out of her. It was like I was literally watching a scene from the script play out before my eyes. I gave Payman the job right then and there during the phone call. We all knew there was a magical chemistry between the two of them.

I remember the first time I met Lane Garrison, I couldn’t help but notice that he literally had a red neck. We joked about it, but in truth, it’s not insignificant. It helps that he knows the world of a West Texas soldier inside and out, it’s very much the world he came from. But what really makes him special is the kind of sad sweetness and intelligence he could bring out underneath that veneer. THAT was the undertone that I really responded to in Lane, and something he nailed in the movie. I really gravitate to actors who can play two tones at once. It creates such depth.

John Carroll Lynch’s name was brought up by my casting director, Richard Hicks. Now there’s an actor who’s got range. Comedy, drama, lovable, intimidating; he’s a damn chameleon. I really loved watching him bring his colonel character to life. He brought such a wonderful reality to a role that, in the wrong hands, could have been just another military brass cliché. His performance really played into the larger approach we had, which was to make a film with no ‘bad guys.’ Characters can do bad things, everyone can make bad decisions, but we need to understand, and to some degree sympathize with, why they’re doing what they’re doing. Everyone has an opinion, and if you took the time to talk to them about it, you’d probably find a reason or two to agree with them. And John really understood that, and really worked hard to show the other side of the military’s thinking.

Q: What was your favorite scene to write, and what was your favorite scene to shoot?

I most enjoyed writing the scene that inspired the entire film: the first exchange over the book cart. It is the scene where Kristen and Payman’s characters first meet. We open the movie as a young woman enters the detention camp, which is, understandably, a very intense and frightening place. But when she first meets Payman’s character, we are given a very surprising moment of levity. It underscores the surreal duality of this place and these characters, where one moment you can be literally fighting for your life, but the next, you find yourself arguing with a detainee over Harry Potter.

I also just loved the idea of doing a movie about Gitmo, but not focusing on torture or politics and instead writing scenes about the stupid little things. These two sides are set up to be antagonistic to each other. It’s unavoidably engineered into their relationship. But they can’t fight a real war, so instead they fight it through these little idiosyncratic battles. Arguing about what’s on the lunch menu today or about when they’re getting new books. Stupid arguments, but to these characters, they’re supremely important. This is their Bunker Hill. This is their jihad. And I loved writing those scenes because they were an amusing way to illustrate the idiocy of their conflict in the first place.

My favorite scenes to shoot were always the ones with Kristen and Payman. They were, on the whole, the more daunting ones to film because they were big scenes. But every moment, every take that those two interacted had a real magic to it. They would find their own rhythms and create little interchanges. It was always so effortless and natural. You usually have to fight to get a scene on its feet before you can start working it, but with those two, it was always just there, which meant the three of us could focus on shaping and molding that reality instead of trying to bring it to life.

Q: What was the most difficult scene to shoot?

The end of the movie was the most difficult to shoot. Reel six is essentially one giant 21-minute scene divided into three or four sections. It was terribly difficult to stage and direct such a massive piece of drama. And to add to the pressure, it is the emotional climax of the film, one that required both actors to reach into the absolute depths.

Q: Why did the story of these two intersecting characters appeal to you? 

One of the primary dramatic interchanges we have in our day-to-day life is meeting and dealing with strangers. Anytime you meet someone, there’s posturing, subtle bragging, feeling one another out. Whether it’s a first date, your first day at school, or the first time you meet a guy you’re supposed to be guarding. It really all comes down to that primal fight or flight instinct. Can I trust this guy? Is he nice? Is he being too nice because he’s trying to play me? I see it happen every single day all around me, in small and large ways. A million scared little monkeys trying to figure one another out. Ali and Cole, to me, are just playing out that intrinsic eternal dance of raising and lowering your defenses when you meet a stranger.

Q: The story of a woman in the service is one not often told – what attracted you to that angle? 

My initial reason for writing a woman in this film was one of contrast. How do I make these two characters start as far apart as possible at the beginning. And from the research I had done and given the very complicated relationship Muslim extremists have with women, it was clearly the most interesting way to go.

But in a way, it was about more than that. As I was writing this film, my wife was pregnant with our first child, a daughter, and it made me see much more clearly how few films are told from a female point of view. It was kind of an eye-opening realization for me, and it only made me more determined to create a strong woman who wanted something more than to just be rescued.

Q: When and where was the film shot, and how long was the shoot? 

We shot in the summer of 2013, mostly in an abandoned juvenile prison in Whittier, CA, which is just outside of Los Angeles. We shot for 21 days.

Q: How did you prepare the actors for their roles before production? Was there a rehearsal process? 

Kristen and Payman are interesting in that they both work in very different ways.

Kristen really loves intellectualizing her character because she absolutely wants to live in the moment. And to do that, it requires truly knowing your character from the inside out. So we spent a lot of time talking about girls we knew that were like Cole. Really just talking around the character, building out her backstory. Going back and forth about little awkward moments from her fictional life that we felt was the type of girl we were building.

Payman, to some degree, had a similar approach. He would share stories with me about people who knew who had been imprisoned in Iran, and he would invent little rules which he felt defined who Ali was. But what’s interesting about Payman is that he’s an accomplished writer and filmmaker as well as an actor. So he would most often gravitate towards little turns of a phrase, or try and establish very visual reactions or ticks his character could employ on-screen.

I had some time to develop both of these methods with Kristen and Payman separately, but due to Payman’s schedule, we were only able to get him in the states to rehearse a few weeks before shooting. In that time, the three of us spent as much time as possible together. We concentrated mostly on the big scenes. There’s about four or five of them, really long scenes that are the crux of the film. In the first pass, we mostly just dialed in intentions and wants and particular approaches to certain lines. We also auditioned new lines and improvised around the scenes a little to find truth. The script was never sacrosanct; it was always just about getting to the truth of their interaction.

But the most helpful thing we did was actually to go rehearse in the actual prison where we shot. It was here that we worked out the dance of how to play the back and forth of lines as Kristen’s character was patrolling the hallway. What line she said where and how that was going to all work out. As I’ve said before, those scenes are incredibly complicated to stage properly, so it was something we definitely had to work out before hand.

And then, finally, during our last rehearsal at the location, I left Payman in his cell, and had Kristen walk in circles around that hallway for about twenty minutes. We left them there alone to try and get some sense of what it would actually be like to be spend all day stuck there. There’s a very palpable reality to being behind those thick doors, walking those long hallways.

Q: How much historical research did you do while writing the film? Were some scenes influenced by real life events? 

CAMP X-RAY required an immense amount of research, most of which was done during the writing process. The idea I had was to focus on the mundane minutiae of life at Gitmo, but to really pull that off required the kind of details that reporters don’t normally cover. So I watched lots of documentaries, read lots of books and news articles. One unlikely asset in all this was through Wikileaks. They had leaked the Standard Operating Procedure for Gitmo’s Camp Delta. It was a treasure trove of microscopic military procedural details. Exactly the kind of material I needed to write the type of movie I was attempting.

And while the film wasn’t inspired by any real events, I did, as much as possible, try to weave true elements into the film. So for example, if I read about a certain nickname that soldiers would use for detainees, I’d try and work that into the movie. Or if there was some small detail about the mess hall, or about life on the base, or a story about something weird that happened down there, I’d very much try to find a way to digest and regurgitate that into the script.

The broad movements we approached like a work of art. The small details we treated like a documentary.

Q: How did you find the location, and what went into recreating Guantanamo?

Camp Delta, where our film is set, looks almost exactly like any high security prison you’d find in the states. And the reason for that is simple. That’s who the military hired to build it. So early in preproduction, I started looking for prisons to shoot in. Lo and behold, I found one right in my own backyard, not thirty minutes from downtown LA. An abandoned juvenile prison. The bones were exactly like the detention blocks at Gitmo. It would take a lot of work to transform the rest of it, but we knew that the location had given us a huge head start.

There were two phases of research that went into our film. The first was done by myself during the writing process. But the second was done almost entirely by my production designer, Richard Wright. I always knew that we were facing a challenge in trying to recreate life at Guantanamo, but Richard pushed the design of the film further than I had ever imagined. He painstakingly analyzed Department of Defense videos to try and measure the size of the food slots in the detention doors. He worked with our Muslim consultant Suhad Obeidi to track down appropriate Arabic books. He studied everything from Middle East geometric art to military police procedure to get all the props and dressing correct.

Richard would come in almost every day with a new photo he had found and wanted to recreate. So we eventually ended up making him our second unit director. We’d send him off with our second unit D.P., Adam Stone, and they’d just go stage all these amazing little slices of life that he’d found in his research. Guards wrapping Korans. Detainees hanging their laundry out to dry on a chain link fence.

And this was very much the side of Gitmo that we wanted to focus on. From the beginning, Richard and I wanted to limit the scope of our world to the things that our characters would actually experience. If you actually worked down there, you wouldn’t experience some sweeping helicopter shot over a thousand miles of fence line. You’d actually spend far more time looking at dorky military issue motivational posters and coffee makers. So that’s where we put our focus. We wanted to recreate Gitmo on a very human scale.

Q: What are you working on next?

I can’t really work on two things at once. I kind of just need to go all in on something. So it’s only now that the movie is completely finished that I can start to purge the old film and make room from a new one. Ironically, the film I plan on writing next is, in many ways, a two-hander like CAMP X-RAY. I’m not sure if that’s by design. I think it’s just hard for me to think of a character without thinking of the other character they’ll be in opposition to. No character can exist in a void.