by Christine Westwood
There is a spellbinding moment in The Kindergarten Teacher when five-year-old Jimmy, played by Indian actor Parker Sevak, literally channels a beautiful, complete poem in the middle of the class. For Lisa, the teacher of the film’s title, portrayed in an intense and arresting performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal, it is a life changing moment. All her frustration about the lack of culture and understanding in her own life suddenly finds an outlet in this child prodigy, with devastating results.
Writer and director Sara Colangelo based the story on a 2014 Israeli film of the same name, and brought Gyllenhaal on board as the actor who could successfully carry this complex, emotional role. The film also features Gael Garcia Bernal in a wry performance as Lisa’s poetry teacher, and Anna Baryshnikov (Manchester by the Sea) as the school assistant.
Speaking to FilmInk on the press line at Sundance and later responding to audience questions at the premiere screening’s Q and A, Colangelo and Gyllenhaal described their passion for the project and why they felt compelled to make the movie.
“This was a wonderful second project because it allowed me to luxuriate in the psychology of one woman,” Colangelo says. Her first feature, Little Accidents, wove three stories in the aftermath of a mining tragedy. “She was a challenging and complicated female character. I really enjoyed it and I found a great partner in Maggie, she really gave me so much.”
“I think Sara is a brilliant writer,” Gyllenhaal says. “I had the feeling when I read the script that something was asking to be expressed, and that linked up with something I needed to express, that as women we don’t see many movies that talk about our experience. We get really good at fitting ourselves into what we’ve got but when I saw this one where there’s an opportunity to really express everything, I was compelled to be part of it.”
There is a wonderful intimacy in Gyllenhaal’s performance, with the child poet and also with the audience as we watch her become more obsessed, more lost, as the story unfolds. Her actions are poignant, uncomfortable and there are points where you question her sanity.
“My opinion is that she’s not fundamentally mad,” Gyllenhaal says. “I think she’s a woman, an artist with a mind, and she’s not being fed anything and nobody is listening to her work and she doesn’t have any kind of real human connection in her life. I think she’s been driven crazy by the insanity and the time of this culture that she lives in – which happens to be the same culture and time that we live in.”
Sara adds, “It was important to me when writing her to show that she wasn’t being listened to and she’s projecting her own artistic aspirations onto this child who is clearly extraordinary. She’s trying to cultivate his talent and going to ridiculous lengths to do so and crossing so many boundaries. It was important to feel we could all be her in a sense, we’ve all had work that hasn’t been heard or understood. So much of this piece is about authorship, who gets to say what art is, who gets to lavish praise on who. I hope all these things are layered into it, for me this story works in the sense of allegory as well as a portrait of a woman. Lisa is spiraling out of control because she’s misunderstood and not being fed, and ultimately she’s awakening to life through this child and through his art.”
On the press line, co-star Baryshnikov told FilmInk, “Maggie had a really good idea the first day, she said I think it would be useful if we behave as though we really are these kids’ teachers, it was really helpful. Watching her work, because she is so focused, I couldn’t have had a better person to learn from.”
Gyllenhaal has been acting for 25 years, and recently took on the role of producer for the HBO series The Deuce in which she also stars. She told a Hollywood Reporter panel, “I had been interested in producing before, but really more from a development point of view to try to create projects that I could act in. The motivation to be a producer on The Deuce was to be guaranteed a spot at the table. Our show is about sex workers and about sexual politics and misogyny. I wanted to be part of that conversation.”
A theme at Sundance was creative women taking strong roles. Gyllenhaal and Colangelo, who said her next project is a war story with a female lead at its centre, are contributing in a significant way.
The Kindergarten Teacher is in cinemas April 11, 2019
Main Photo Credit: Producer Talia Kleinhendler, Producer Celine Rattray, Director Sara Colangelo, Actor Maggie Gyllenhaal and Producer Osnat Handelsman-Keren, image courtesy of Sundance Institute.
