Tilda Swinton to make Taiwan debut in 'Embodying Pasolini'

蒂妲史雲頓台灣首演《親愛的帕索里尼》

Theater production with Olivier Saillard pays tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Actress Tilda Swinton will make her Taiwan debut in the theater production "Embodying Pasolini," a highlight of the 2024 Taipei Arts Festival, on Friday (Aug. 23).

The production is a collaboration between Swinton and fashion historian Olivier Saillard. It runs from Friday to Sunday at the Blue Box in the Taipei Performing Arts Center (TPAC).

The theater space will be transformed into an all-white runway. Costumes from 20th-century cinema master Pier Paolo Pasolini's iconic films will come to life as Swinton acts as a vehicle for these pieces.

Swinton deeply connects to Pasolini, whom she considers a mentor and inspiration. She believes that Pasolini's work was ahead of its time, paving the way for a new, modern approach to cinema.

Swinton and Saillard have collaborated on seven pieces over the past 12 years. Their first collaboration in 2012, "Impossible Wardrobe," focused on “pieces that were impossible to wear” due to being too fragile.

“When we first discovered the ability of working with this archive, we were excited about that possibility,” Swinton said. “The possibility of me actually wearing, or semi-wearing these pieces so that it’s not just about presenting them to the audience, it’s about actually having a sort of dance with each piece.”

“The extraordinary thing about cinema costumes is that they live for such a short period of time,” Swinton added. Costumes are shown on screen for a few seconds, or not at all, after being created, and “that is their life,” Swinton noted.

The costumes used in the production hold a special significance for Swinton. She described them as "animals" that yearned to be played with and given fresh life.

She also expressed a fondness for Geoffrey Chaucer's green velvet cloak and cap from "The Canterbury Tales," worn by Pasolini.

Swinton shared that the decision to bring the production to Taipei was based on an invitation from TPAC. “Taiwan got there first,” she said.

Swinton emphasized the powerful aura that the costumes carry, such as the horrific energy surrounding the clothing from the film “Salo.” “It’s horrific what energy sort of swirls around that particular piece of clothing.”

Pasolini has left, but he has left behind materials. “Negotiating that portal into the past, and at the same time going forward into something supersonic, that is what makes us vibrate.” Taking something that had a life “from a film which will probably never be seen again,” is an exciting opportunity.

Pasolini may be gone, but his legacy lives on through his work, Swinton said. When asked whether the work is an escape into the past or a creation of a new narrative, she compared the costumes to a portal.