Cathy Yan, Natalie Portman, and Jenna Ortega Talk About Embracing Humor in Their Art-World Satire at Sundance Studio
The film “The Gallerist,” which premiered at Sundance on Saturday night, follows gallerist Polina Polinski, portrayed by Natalie Portman, as she prepares for an Art Basel debut. Polinski aims to impress art influencer Dalton Hardberry, played by Zach Galifianakis, with the works of emerging artist Stella Burgess, portrayed by Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Director Cathy Yan summarized the film’s premise, stating, “A gallerist in a predicament/opportunity ends up having to sell a dead body as a piece of art.”
Jenna Ortega plays Kiki, Polina’s assistant, with Yan noting, “Or, more than her assistant. Although that makes them sound like lovers… which… maybe they are, who knows?”
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When asked about her inspiration for exploring the art world, Yan explained, “Just the art world in general, how far can you go? And that’s the question in contemporary art right now, ever since Marcel Duchamp decided a urinal was a piece of art and called it Fountain. I think it’s always been this question of what can be contextualized to be art, so it just felt like a natural end point of that question, in a way.”
Portman expressed her enthusiasm for the script, stating, “Cathy sent me the script and I was so blown away by the character portrayal. You can understand why we were able to attract such an amazing cast. Each of the characters are so perfectly drawn. You’ve never seen anything like it.”
Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega in ‘The Gallerist’.
Ortega noted that playing Kiki allowed her to draw on her own experiences in the industry, stating, “I’ve known a lot in my day. I started working on sets when I was a kid, so oftentimes the people you’re interacting with the most are the PAs, who are so hard-working and so loyal and incredible. Kiki is very funny because she’s got a confused moral compass, I would say. She’s got really good intentions but terrible execution.”
Ortega commented on the challenge of portraying a zany character, expressing, “It’s been a while since I played kind of a zany character like that, who was very expressive and almost over-the-top at times.” The role also required her to practice auctioneering, for which she said she spent time watching various Sotheby’s auctions.
Ortega humorously shared an unexpected aspect of her role, stating, “I spent a lot of time in the bathroom stall in this movie, so I did a lot of good thinking there.”
She also described some intriguing moments on set, remarking, “There were a few of the art pieces that were maybe a little sexually charged that were very tempting and curious to walk past.” Additionally, she found the use of palm trees in the Paris set during winter amusing, quipping about the snow-covered palms and the process of waiting for the snow to melt to create a Miami-like atmosphere.
Portman emphasized the importance of research in crafting her character, mentioning that Yan recommended the book Get the Picture as a valuable resource. Portman highlighted the role of art consultant Rob Dimin, who introduced the cast to various aspects of the art world, including visits to Art Basel in Paris and Miami, as well as interactions with local gallerists and artists.
Yan concluded, “There was a lot of physical comedy in this film too, and it was really fun to see everyone let loose.”
Click on the video above to watch the interview.
