Hollywood Gold Awards – Interview with Kristina Lorent Goztola

Kristina is an Award-winning actress and producer. She has an international career in both film and theater industry. In 2022 she founded her own film company in Paris.

When did you realised you wanted to be an actress?

Even when I was a little girl, I was very interested in music. I learned ballet, folk dancing and play the piano. I was twelve years old when the feeling came over me during a theatre performance that I had to do this, that’s why I was born. So at the age of fifteen I continued my studies at the music conservatory. When I was nineteen, I was already playing leading roles in musical plays in theatres.

Do you remember your first time at the Movies?

It was a musical TV movie, in which I had to sing. Even though I already had some theatre experiences , I remember having butterflies in my stomach. Stage fright in front of the camera, it’s quite different from that on the stage.

If you should change country where would you like to work?

I studied and worked in Los Angeles, New York, London, Rome and Budapest. Paris has been the center of my life for a few years now. I love France, I love being here. It’s true that our work requires a lot of travel and I lead a cosmopolitan lifestyle.

Two films that have marked your life for better or for worse…

….for better, there are many of them. Dead Poets Societ, The Lovely Bones, The Devil’s Advocate and  La ciociara with Sophia Loren. 

….for worse…. I wouldn’t say anything. On the one hand, because I respect the work and effort of my collegues, and as a profucer I know how complex it is to run a film successfully, on the other hand, you can learn a lot from mistakes. 

What do you think about Acting schools?

In order to be successful in the long term, a good quality of acting school is essential. I had marvelous masters in Los Angeles and in London. There I acquired the Meisner technique, which is an indispensable tool for genuine screen acting. Although, when I play a big classical drama on stage, I reach for the Stanislavsky method.

Have you ever hated your ambition?

I’m such a perfectionist, excessively. Sometimes I wish I were not. You have to be able to let things go. At the beginning, I always focused on whether others liked what I was doing, I wanted to live up to other’s expectations. My masters taught me that in art, it is not perfection that is the most important but individuality and what you convey  through it.

Francois Truffaut used to think that “Film Lovers are sick people”… was he right?

I’m a great admirer of Truffaut and maybe he was right from the point of view that any kind of art – be it music, painting, dance or film making – requires full commitment.

Close your eyes…if I say “Cinema” what do you see?

Early forties, I’m sitting in a battered cinema and a black and white film amazes me. Maybe it’s the Casablanca, who was directed by Michael Curtiz, Hungarian film director, just like George Cukor, Sir Alexander Korda. Since I was also born in Hungary, I’m very proud of them.

Who’s the Director that taught you the most?

Jack Waltzer, – who taught such big names like Sharon Stone, Gerard Butler,David Soul and worked with Sigourney Weaver, Dustin Hoffman – was decisive for me. With many leading roles in musicals behind me Jack told me; “ Christine, you are a dramatic actress” and he was right. 

About your job, tell us your biggest dream. 

I always do everything to get the best out of my task and it feels fantastic to win award, however the work  itself, acting and filmmaking that makes me happy.

What’s your worst nightmare?

I have  two recurring nightmares.  One is that I arrive at the set and the location is not yet ready or it turns out that it is not possible to make shooting there. Of course, this has never happened to me, it’s probably a subconscious fear of mine. For sure, finding the location as a profucer is always the biggest thrill for me. The other one is that I forget going to the theatre, even though I have a performance in the evening.

How important is to have a good Cinematographic Culture?

Cinematography has always been decisive in any historical period.  Whether it teaches or entertains, amazes or scandalizis, it has a big impact on people. It has a great advantage over the theatre, namely that it remains for the future. 

What would you like to improve as a Filmmaker?

I like to improve our budget :):).                           I founded my own film company in 2022 in Paris. It is still a young company, but full of ambition and great faith.

A big producer give you the chance to play in the remake of one of your favorite black and white movie. What film do you choose?

The Artist. It’s a fantastic movie. But if I have to go even further back in time, then Roman Holiday or Casablanca.

Film Industry it’s a tough place and sometimes is normal to feel lost and discouraged. Who’s the person that keeps you motivated?

My husband Peter Korday. He is director, producer and used to be an actor. He perfectly understands my desires and my fears. I’m happy if I’m invited to shoot in other productions, but when Peter is behind the camera it’s wonderful. I suppose that Bérénice Bejo must have felt the same on the set of ‘The Artist’ or Sophia Loren, most of whose films were produced by her husband Carlo Ponti. 

Alfred Hitchcock said: “To make a good film you need 3 things: The script, the script and the script”.  Do you agree with him?

Completely.  No matter the great director and the good actors or the perfect crew, if the script is not good, it is really difficult to get something really good out of it. 

What’s your most ambitious project for the future?

We’ve just finished a screenplay, we wrote together with Peter Korday, “Huîtres dans la baignoire”. It’s a comedy and we love it. We can’t wait to get to be filmed.

Do you think that sadness or at least melancholy let be more creative?

Unfortunately, it is true. The above-mentioned comedy was written during a very difficult time. My father, several close relatives and young friends have recently died in a short period of time. Writing comedy was a form of therapy for me, although it was not conscious. That’s when  I realized how much I love writing, and that I have something to do with. 

What do you wish to yourself as an actress and producer?

We are now shooting our latest film “Soft Floating in the Field of Spheres” of which I’m the protagonist and one of the producers. The movie is directed by Peter Korday, and though I have worked with him before, I’m full of excitement. He is the kind of precise and calm director who exude confidence but likes innovation. I feel that this role is a challenge for me now. So I keep my fingers crossed.

Source by: hollywoodgoldawards.com