Ahead of the North American premiere of the NYFF61 Closing Night selection Ferrari, director Michael Mann and cast members Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, and Gabriel Leone participated in a press conference moderated by NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim. The conversation covered the complexities of the Ferrari family, competitive racing, and more.
Following the premiere of the film, Mann, Driver, Cruz, and Leone were joined by cast member Shailene Woodley for a Q&A on stage at Alice Tully Hall where they discussed authenticity, recreating iconic cars, and the complicated relationships in Enzo Ferrari’s life.
Michael Mann (The Insider) brings his astonishing command of technique and storytelling to bear on this emotional, elegantly crafted dramatization of the life of the legendary car manufacturer and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari at a professional and personal fulcrum. It’s 1957, and the marriage of Enzo (Adam Driver, in an artfully internalized performance) and Laura (Penélope Cruz, a ferocious revelation) has begun to irrevocably fracture as a result of his philandering and the tragic recent death of their young son. Their unsettled domestic world is on a collision course with his work life as Enzo faces a pair of major turning points: financial pressure to increase productivity, which means going against his long-standing desire to only produce race cars, and preparations for the treacherous cross-country open-road Mille Miglia race. Dovetailing these narrative strands, Mann effortlessly shifts gears between elegiac and spectacular, climaxing in an exhilarating and terrifying race across the Northern Italian landscape—a visual and aural wonder of revving machinery against bucolic splendor—that ranks with the greatest set pieces of Mann’s career. Aided by a magnificent cast, which also includes Shailene Woodley, Gabriel Leone, Patrick Dempsey, and Jack O’Connell, and glorious on-location shooting in Ferrari’s hometown of Modena, Mann has constructed a marvel of classical cinema. A Neon release.
NYFF61 Closing Night is presented by Campari.
Enjoy both conversations with Michael Mann and the cast of Ferrari below, and don’t forget to subscribe here for more filmmaker conversations.
