Mon Sep 30 23:26:14 UTC 2024: ## “The Fall” Director Tarsem Singh on His “Love It or Hate It” Masterpiece

**Edinburgh, Scotland** – In anticipation of the 4K restoration and re-release of his fantasy epic *The Fall*, director Tarsem Singh sat down with *The Skinny* in 2008 to discuss the film’s unique creation process, the film’s polarized reception, and its enduring power.

Singh, known for his visually stunning films like *The Cell* and *The Immortals*, conceived *The Fall* nearly 24 years ago, aiming to tell a story using body language and the power of the human imagination. The film took 15 years to secure the rights, 17 years of location scouting across the globe, and an astounding seven years to find the perfect child actress, Catinca Untara, who plays the film’s central character.

*The Fall* is a unique blend of reality and fantasy, with the story of a young girl in a hospital bed intertwined with a fantastical tale she weaves for a fellow patient, played by Lee Pace. Singh employed innovative filming techniques, including shooting in sequence for four months and keeping the cast and crew unaware of Pace’s true abilities.

The director also revealed that Untara had significant input in the film’s fantastical sequences, adding a layer of childlike wonder to the storytelling.

*The Fall* has received a mixed reception from critics, with some praising its visual brilliance and others criticizing its narrative structure. Singh embraces this polarization, stating, “The people who can’t get into this film just cannot get into it, they absolutely hate it and think it’s shit, while the next person comes in and thinks it’s the best thing since sliced bread!”

“The Fall” is a film that demands to be seen on the big screen, and Singh is excited for audiences to rediscover it in its newly restored form. He encourages viewers to engage with the film’s ambiguous ending and draw their own conclusions, reflecting the film’s central theme of imagination and storytelling.

“What do you think happened?” Singh asks, leaving the final interpretation to the audience. “If you’re optimistic he made it, if you’re pessimistic he didn’t and if you’re sceptical you’ll be wondering about it.”

*The Fall* is now streaming on MUBI and will be screened at free events in Edinburgh.

Read More