The first poster for Terry Gilliam's The Zero Theorem and a director's statement have been posted online by The Film Stage.The film, which stars Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained), Matt Damon (Elysium), David Thewlis (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2), Tilda Swinton (Moonrise Kingdom), Ben Whishaw (Skyfall), and Melanie Thierry (Babylon A.D.), premieres at the Venice Film Festival in a few weeks.In the director's statement, Gilliam explains his reasons for making the film and also provides an overview:
"When I made Brazil in 1984, I was trying to paint a picture of the world I thought we were living in then. The Zero Theorem is a glimpse of the world I think we are living in now. Pat Rushin’s script intrigued me with the many existential ideas he had incorporated into his funny, philosophic, and touching tale.
For example: What gives meaning to our lives, brings us happiness? Can we ever be alone in our increasingly connected and constricted world? Is that world under control or simply chaotic? We’ve tried to make a film that is honest, funny, beautiful, and surprising; a simple film about a complex modern man waiting for a call to give meaning to his life; about inescapable relationships and the longing for love, full of quirky characters and sparkling performances; raising questions without offering obvious answers.
Hopefully, it’s unlike any film you have seen recently; no zombies, no caped crusaders or alien spacecraft. Actually, I might have lied about that last item. Having not worked with a budget this small for several decades, I was forced to work fast and instinctively, pressured only by time and money. We relied on the freedom to spin on a dime, to make outrageous creative leaps. The results surprised even me. I’m proud to have been part of The Zero Theorem."
