PODCAST | David Martos interviews Abel Ferrara, director of the film Sportin’ Life.
Our conversation with Abel Ferrara, presenting Sportin’ Life out of competition in the 77th Venice Film Festival, leads us to a reflection on the state of cinema, his motivations to shoot a documentary during the last Berlinale and the things he learnt during the 2020’s quarantine.
Sportin’ Life is the sixth incarnation of the international art project Self, curated by Saint Laurent’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello. This project is an artistic commentary on society while emphasizing the complexity of various individuals through the eyes of artists who evoke the Saint Laurent attitude of confidence, individuality and self-expression. The documentary is an exploration into the sources and personal history of creativity, the essential life of an artist. Raw and sharp, it has the feeling of a moment in time that is still happening. Abel Ferrara’s intimate and lush look at his own life, his world refracted through his art – music, filmmaking, his collaborators and inspirations such as Ferrara’s early works and his creative partnerships with Willem Dafoe, Joe Delia, Paul Hipp and the musicians who inspired this work.