Interview with Guillermo Del Toro

I really admire how Terry Gross can turn a minor starting point, like the release of a new movie, into a thoughtful, far-reaching conversation. A lot of credit goes to the interesting people she interviews, but it seems like she goes in to every interview with the assumption that the interviewee, no matter how minor, has something fascinating to talk about.

I recently remembered this excellent Fresh Air interview from 2007, with Mexican movie director Guillermo Del Toro. The conversation begins with his movie, Pan's Labyrinth, but goes on to talk about fairy tales, horror and the psychological function of dark stories. He explains how his approach to stories and art came out of childhood experiences of fear and trauma. Del Toro is articulate and heartfelt and the interview is one-of-a-kind.



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IMAGE: JOSEF STUEFER