The filmmaker is no longer just a filmmaker. In reality, he never was just a filmmaker. Since he started writing comedy at just 15 years old and literally spitting out monologues at 25, Woody Allen (New York, 1935) has always been, before anything else, Woody Allen. His creation feeds on the scent of Manhattan, his most intimate neuroses, Ingmar Bergman's most intimate neuroses, 1930s jazz, Salinger's texts, Chekhov's theater, Mort Sahl's jokes, or, why not, a private life always exposed and tumultuous that keeps him in a constant state of war with his ex and his son Ronan Farrow. Now, he is also a novelist. What's Up with Baum? (Alianza) is the story of a Jewish writer with glasses who constantly dialogues with himself and is facing an accusation of harassment. Additionally, he can't stand his stepson who seems (only seems, be careful) much brighter than him. Of course, any resemblance to reality is simply Woody Allen laughing at us and even at himself. He greets us from his home in New York perfectly reclined on a chair to talk about his debut as a novelist, the recent controversy regarding his participation in the Moscow International Film Week, and, while at it, to dodge any questions related to Israel and the genocide in Gaza. Not long ago, he published the short story collection Zero Gravity just two years after releasing his autobiography Apropos of Nothing. And all this without losing sight of his already legendary books Without Feathers or Getting Even.
Is it the same feeling to debut as a novelist as it is to debut as a filmmaker? Do you remember how it was?
They are completely different. With the rise of television streaming and the closure of movie theaters throughout New York, things have changed a lot. In any case, they are two very different activities. When making a film, time is essential because time is essentially very expensive. Every mistake in a film translates into a lot of money, and there is no way to correct anything. When I write, I feel completely free. Every day I can write a lot or a little; work all day without stopping or not work at all. Additionally, writing gives you the pleasure of discarding what you don't like. And it costs nothing. It's free. In film, that's impossible.
You once stated that the romanticism of cinema has faded forever. Are you still convinced of that?
Nothing compares to the color, spectacle, and size of a film. Nothing compares to sitting in a theater with many others to share a movie. Reading a book, on the other hand, is a private experience. People read in bed, on the couch, anywhere. Both, a book or a movie, are very difficult to create, but writing is simpler. Now, as it becomes increasingly challenging to secure funding for the type of cinema that interests me, writing is the option I have left.
What are your writing routines?
I wake up, have breakfast, and exercise. This doesn't take much time. I write in my room, lying in my bed, not on my back, but on my side. I write with a pen in large yellow notebooks, and when I finish, sometimes I type it or dictate it. But I always write with a pen, whether it's a film script, a book, a story, or anything. I'm always in my room with the door closed, but I don't mind interruptions, like when my wife comes in with something or my kids come with something they want. I don't need complete silence to write, and I don't mind my wife or kids interrupting me as much as they want. I work like this until lunchtime. Let's say I work from 9:30 in the morning until noon. Then I return. I usually work a few hours in the afternoon, and some days I can work all day. I enjoy it. Other days I stop because I get bored. Then I go play the clarinet or take a walk or something.
What would you say is your priority when writing?
I am basically a comedic artist, and that's all I think about when I write. Will this be funny? How can I entertain people by being funny? Will they get bored? Will they think I'm trying to be funny and not succeeding? Those are the questions I constantly ask myself.
Related to what you mentioned earlier, where does work fit into your daily routine? Do you think the time to stop working is approaching?
I like to work because if I don't work, I feel bad and have unpleasant thoughts. I think about what's happening in the world and all kinds of existential concerns assail me. If I don't work, I worry that I'll fall ill at any moment. Work, for me, is a distraction that prevents me from falling into sadness.
In interviews following a film presentation, you often mention your cinematic preferences rather than literary ones. Perhaps now is the time.
The list is long. I don't necessarily think about them when I write, but I like to believe they are there with me. Authors like Salinger, S.J. Perelman, Saul Bellow, and Philip Roth come to mind from my generation. But I adore all classic novelists, like everyone, without exception. I could mention Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Balzac, Stendhal... But I feel that if I start listing, I end up being unfair to those I leave out, like British writers at the moment...
One of the most brilliant and amusing parts of your novel are the character's split personalities and their long dialogues with themselves. Do you do something similar?
When you write scripts or books, you spend a lot of time thinking. Writing is the easy part; the exhausting part is refining ideas beforehand. Thinking in solitude is a draining exercise. It's the long hours and days of thinking and not finding what you're looking for that leave you breathless; it tires you out and exhausts you. Sometimes I think of chess players who just sit, but end up exhausted. They have masseurs and gym instructors because they get tired from thinking. They need steam baths and such. The same goes for writing. And the problem is that when you can't find the idea, you can't rest; you take all the doubts to bed.
But do you talk to yourself?
Occasionally, you have no choice because you immerse yourself in a character and need to hear them speak. However, that rarely happens; generally, everything occurs in the mind.
Another characteristic of Baum is that he has an opinion on almost everything. One of his ideas is that animals, which he seems to dislike, are failed human beings. I wonder if the reverse could also apply, given the circumstances of the world, that failed animals are human beings.
I couldn't say. What is true is that humans are definitively animals. And we have to live with that. We are not special creatures of God. Humans have to settle for being slightly more intelligent than a monkey.
Baum, like you, is Jewish. I dare to ask about the current situation in Israel and the genocide in Gaza, which has even sparked a protest letter from many film colleagues...
I'm not wise enough to make an intelligent statement about it. I know the conflict in the Middle East has been ongoing for decades, and wise people have tried to resolve it. Countless politicians and writers have written about it. Every day, I read articles in the newspaper by people much more capable than me on that subject. And the next day, you read another opinion from someone equally intelligent as the previous one holding a contrary opinion. It's never possible to know what's really happening. The only thing everyone agrees on is that the other side is lying. I have never been to Israel, and I'm not an expert. I fear that anything I say [about Israel and Gaza] would be like the statement of some silly actor who truly knows nothing.
Regardless, and despite not being an expert as you say, do you dare to analyze what is happening to us?
The world is going through a very difficult time right now. There are too many authoritarian leaders, and I don't think that's good for anyone. Democracy is clearly under threat, and that is objectively bad. Throughout history, we have faced devastating moments, and it seems that we always come out ahead after paying a terrible price.
Recently, as you referred to authoritarian leaders, you participated in the Moscow Film Week and were criticized for not respecting the boycott. Do you regret it?
First and foremost, I did not visit Russia as reported in some media. That's nonsense. I simply made a Zoom appearance. It is crucial for artists from all countries to communicate, speak, and try to bring people together through their writings, films, plays, and music. I believe it is very important to do what we do in art: we don't bomb or shoot people; we try to create things that communicate with one another creatively. Yes, I support artists worldwide continuing to work together. Just like scientists. In fact, I have the impression that artists are the last hope for communication and that art is the last space for speaking freely.
Another authoritarian leader is the president of your country, Donald Trump. How do you judge his stance on immigration, his attacks on freedom of expression, his presidency in general?
I can only say one thing: I am a Democrat, always have been, and I have never agreed with Republican administrations in my life. Not with Bush, not with Eisenhower, not with any of them. I never agreed with Nixon, of course, so I completely disagree with this Administration. I don't think the Republicans govern the country correctly, and this administration is no different. I disagree not with everything, but with almost everything they do.
And about retiring from filmmaking?
For now, I write. And when I can finance a film on my terms, I will make a movie. But the conditions are set by me. They have to buy into my vision, and if they do, I'll make the film. I rule out anyone interfering in my work and coming with demands about who should be in it and how they should be portrayed, for example. If the latter happens, I assume there won't be a movie.
A year ago, there were rumors that your next film would take place in Spain again, is that true?
It's always a possibility. The truth is that Spain is a very pleasant country to work in. I love Spain, and I constantly think of storylines that could unfold there in Madrid, Barcelona, Oviedo, San Sebastián, or Bilbao.