What was it about Julia as a character that made you want to play her?

Tilda Swinton: She reminds me of so many of the great drunks I have known and loved in my life, who have always felt so unlike the kind of loser character often put forward in cinema portrayals.

Is there a particular appeal to exploring characters as unglamorous and as unrelentingly real as Julia?

TS: It certainly does one good to notice how extreme 'unrelenting realness' very often is; how far from any concept of good taste or subtlety. When we were developing this film, we went out of our way to be clear with ourselves just how far we needed to go. People like Kate del Castillo's character really are that unhinged, desperate people with guns and insanely ferocious dogs do shout that loud, people like Julia do drink that much and that often, the effort to appear sober the morning after drinking as much as she does does involve that much overacting, look that forced and feel that wierd to be around.

Tilda Swinton in Julia

What are the real challenges and areas of consideration when you're taking on a character afflicted by something like alcoholism?

TS:The responsibility of going far enough. The resistence to stopping short of the mark for the sake of modesty.

What was the experience of working with Erick Zonca like?

TS: Exhilarating. Multilingual. Random. Addictive. He has to be the least cerebral filmmaker I have ever worked with; he directs outside of any formal or literary concerns whatsoever. He directs energy - nothing less - and is not interested in anything except the authentic. His constant request is for 'something of different', 'something of fantasy' and, of me in particular, 'more ugly, Tilda, make more ugly faces'. His allergy to generica and his passion are truly infectious and a tonic to be around. I'd work with him again in a heartbeat.