Interview

Djimon Hounsou Talks AIR Movie

By Michelle McCue | August 16, 2015

“Djimon Hounsou is nothing short of astonishing, bringing to life a character that might have confounded lesser actors,” says Sam Moffitt in his review for the sci-fi film AIR.

Directed by Christian Cantamessa and co-written with Chris Pasetto, AIR takes place in the near future where breathable air is nonexistent. Virtually all of humanity has disappeared and those chosen to reestablish society reside in a controlled state of suspended animation. Two engineers (Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou) tasked with guarding the last hope for mankind struggle to preserve their own sanity and lives while administering to their vital task at hand. (Trailer)

Playing in theaters and available on iTunes and Digital HD now, the film has the feel of a science fiction from the late seventies and eighties and features a nostalgic score from composer Edo Van Breemen.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to actor Djimon Hounsou about his new film, the characters and challenges of such a script.

AIR’s basic premise is about two working-class, blue-collar guys trying to make sure that humanity is preserved. Hounsou embodies the hope and humanitarian side of the science that is keeping the possibility of human life alive. In the film he proves to be the perfect contrast to Reedus’ Bauer, who represented the survival instinct and raw fatality of the situation.

When asked what he thought about the characters when first reading through the screenplay, Hounsou said, “It’s primarily about these two people and I felt that it would be quite interesting to approach. Plus the idea of these two guys who are in charge of the “seeds” of humanity, I also thought was very interesting. The dynamics between the two characters is a great study.”

On acting with only one other actor for most of the film, Hounsou says with a laugh, “It was a bloody nightmare.” He adds, “There was a side of it that was quite pleasant in a way in that you only have one other person to deal with. The whole story is just between he and I, which is quite interesting. The camaraderie and chemistry between the two characters are engaged and it became very organic at that point to interact.”

On making the movie in a short amount of time, he says, “Everything was almost like guerrilla filmmaking. Norman and I came in together and figured things out. There was no luxury of time to rehearse. Life is not a dress rehearsal, so it was a great metaphor for life.”

The look of the film is very retro right down to the futuristic sets and the costumes featuring contamination suits. Hounsou says, “Putting on that suit literally takes you into that character. I felt claustrophobic right away. Going into the tunnels, I felt very scared. It was something we single-handedly created for ourselves to be scared.”

The one other character in the film is Abby (played by Sandrine Holt). She is Hounsou’s guide of sorts through the film. “Her character’s presence was my sanity,” he says. “I was very pleased on how it turned out for the two characters. It’s a really good film.”

For fans of the two-time Academy Award nominated actor, Hounsou can be seen next in director Guy Ritchie’s KNIGHTS OF THE ROUNDTABLE: KING ARTHUR (July 22, 2016) and director David Yates TARZAN (July 1, 2016). With many more films on the horizon, Hounsou says, “It’s been a real trip and there’s still so much more to accomplish and still so much to realize.”