Ben Bolt
A Conversation with Ben Bolt
(Director)

Q: What was your reaction after reading the script?
A: I wanted to be involved. I liked that the audience shares the main characters' experiences. He knows slightly more than the audience in the first 10 to 15 minutes of the movie, but thereafter you're sharing his confusion and his discoveries as they happen. This is a character-driven piece. I also wanted to do this because Alec was playing the main character and he's absolutely right for the role.

Q: What do the actors bring to their roles?
A: Alec was perfect for the role of the main character. I don't think anybody else could have done a better job. Powers' role seemed to be tailor-made for him. Alec was very keen on casting him in that role and he was right on the money. Louise is gorgeous and an accomplished actor. The difficulty in casting her role was that we wanted someone accomplished, attractive and that you would believe was a Cambridge University graduate. Louise went to Cambridge and graduated with great distinction. I think that came through in her performance. You believe she's a top scientist.

Q: What is the main theme in this story?
A: The main theme in the movie is nature vs. nurture. It's the question of whether one's personality is fixed the moment you pop out of the womb, or is it something that is molded through your experiences. I think it's a combination of the two. There are certainly characteristics that people are born with that you can't take away, but I think at least 75 percent of who we are is determined by our experiences.