In 1990 her second film, An Angel At My Table - a dramatization based on the biographies of Janet Frame - won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the actress Kerry Fox earned international honor for her performance. The next years she worked on her largest project so far - The Piano.

Unlike in her first films she chose experienced actors. «Chosing a cast is one of the most difficult jobs as a director», she says. «And it is also the most interesting because the decision have to be made at a point when you know least about the movie. During the work with the cast, which I take very seriously, the foundation for how the film will turn out is settled. I receive help from the cast too, and I believe that all you have to do is to keep your ears and eyes open, then the right actor or actress will tell you what to do». Even when chosing American stars - which helps in promotion the movie - she managed to chose a cast to suit her purpose and style of directing.

«Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel both come from America, but they haven't become part of the American system», Jane says. «They are used to work in independent productions and with alternative filmmakers like me. There are many reasons why Holly makes an excellent job. Ada is not any easy role, and she makes it look effortless. Holly uses intelligence and pragmatism as is necessery to solve the role as Ada - Holly always work a lot with her acting. She also developed the unike sign language between Ada and Flora. She is a complete work addict».

Jane Campion had long admired Harvey Keitel and his way of acting. «I grew up with the films from the seventies and some of the films I saw were Bad Timing, Taxi Driver and The Duellist», Jane explains. «Harvey did remarkable things there. I felt an irresistible need to ask him if he found the role as Baines appealing. I was delighted that he did and scared too, because he can be tough in his films», Jane laughs.

In a way Jane manages to get under the skin of her characters without exaggerating, neither does she exaggerate the story. «What I have learned from my work up to now, is to try to be open, but also protect myself by not letting the good and the evil get to much importance». Perhaps the most important thing for Jane is the relaxing and intuitive way she approaches a project. Like she says - even when the risk is bigger; «the more sober and objective you are, the greater is the possibility of a good result».

Wuthering Heights has been identified as the major literary inspiration for the story. But there are many other influences - among them African Queen. The Piano insist on the central role in the narrative of explicit sexuality - unlike Wuthering Heights and African Queen. We see in this insistent sexuality Jane's reading of Freud. The Piano's mood is gothic, its temporal context is Victorian (notice the clothes used to hide the legs of the furniture). The scene is New Zealand, but the sexual overtones are decidely Freudian.

The Piano became a large source of inspiration for Jane when she rediscovered the Maori culture. «I left New Zealand when I was 21, and I came back 10 years later. It was a strong period for the Maori culture and Maori language, and a certain revaluation of the their rights in New Zealand. For me it was frightening to see that I had a story where I had to find out things by myself. There were Maoris in the roles and I had to work with a Maori adviser to get the story as authentic as possible». She is still ashamed of being told that her manuscript contained some «pathetic characters». Her advisers help her with changes: «I know that I am a European, and I can not speak for the Maoris. I had not expected people saying how good I understood them. I believe that my original plot was more like a cliche. I wished to protect the Maoris in the film and I was sure that I showed their right spirit».

Her description of the New Zealand bush is however not so realistic - rather raw and brutal like a evil forest instead of a green and friendly one. «It is meant more like an emotional scenery», Jane explains. «I imagined a bush the way Europeans of that period experienced it. I think the bush has many different qualities, sometimes it's fabulous, nice and friendly, and other times suffocating and frightening. With different light the forest has adventural qualities. I wished to use the forest as a passionate scenery, which plays its own role in the story».

The piano was to play an important role in the film. Jane says: «The piano was chosen by the designer Andrew McAlpine. I querried it at first, because I had imagined a tall piano and I found it hard to think of this table as a piano. But the same moment as a saw it, I loved it».

During the work with the plot, Jane changed the second part of the manuscript. «I decided to try following the characters' psychology, and find a poetic or lyrical conclusion, rather than the original ending with a classic settlement. I did not want the film to end violent».

Jane Campion earned The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1993. She has created a movie which by many critics has been named as a masterpiece, and she was the first female director to win the Palme D'Or at Cannes.

(The text is from an interview of Jane Campion by Helen Barlow)

• Filmography and biographical information at
• Internet Movie Database

Author: Magnus Hjelstuen
Feedback: magnushj@fys.uio.no