Page 64 - American English File Student Book 3B

Listening

3 36))) badly. I was in so much pain that i couldn’t take His plan was based on his own experience of
part in the filming, and that was the end o f my being a learner and from talking to educational
Interview er So tell me, how did you get involved acting career. I still have the photos o f me looking experts. He had three main principles:
in the movie, Dagmara?
like a girl from the 40s, though! First, that it was essential to make the work feel
D agm ara Well, as you probably know, S ch in d ler’s Interview er Have you ever worked with Spielberg like play. “If I can do that, the boys will learn,” said
List was shot in Krakow', in Poland, which is again? Gareth. The second principle was competition.
where 1 live. I was a university student at the time D agm ara Yes. A year later he invited me to Gareth says, “Boys absolutely love competition! It
studying English. The film company set up their interpret for him again, this time during the has gone out of fashion in many schools, but 1 think
production office here three months before they premiere o f S ch in d ler’s L ist in Poland, which it’s really important. Boys have to learn to lose and
started shooting the film, and I got a job there as
was broadcast live on national television! to fail and to come back from that. If you’ve never
a production assistant, preparingand translating Before that, he had also asked me come to work done that until you go for your first job interview
documents and the script. as a production assistant on his next movie in and don’t get the job, then you’ve got a problem.”
Interview er But how did you get the job as Steven Hollywood. 1 was very tempted and thought really The third thing Gareth thought was important
Spielberg’s interpreter? hard about it, but 1 hadn’t finished my studies yet, was to allow boys to take risks. All kinds of risks.
D agm ara Well, it was a complete coincidence, just and all my family and friends were in Poland - so Not just physical risks like climbing trees, but
before the shooting started, there w>as a big party
in the end I decided not to go. doing things like acting in front o f other people.
in one of the hotels in Krakow' for all the actors
Interview er Do you regret it? Doing things that are a little scary, but that are very
and the film crew, and 1 was invited, too. When
D agm ara Not at all. I had my moment, and it was motivating ifyou manage to do them.
I arrived at the party, the Polish producer of the
unforgettable, but that was it!
film came up to me and said, “The woman who 4 9)))
was going to interpret for Steven Spielberg can’t 3 47))) P art 2
come, so we need you to interpret his opening A few months ago I was with a Vietnamese friend When Gareth started, he made some changes to
speech.” o f mine named Ny in California, and we were the way the children were learning. The boys spent
Interview er How' did you feel about that?
driving around the West Hollywood area, which is a a lot o f time outside, and they had PE (physical
D agm ara I couldn’t believe it! I was just a student
pretty famous part o f Los Angeles-you know - the education) every day before regular classes began.
- i had no experience o f interpreting-and now Sunset Strip, Melrose Avenue, lots of cool shops They even made their own outdoor classroom.
I was going to speak in front o f hundreds of
and restaurants...and lots o f movie stars!! Anyway, Gareth also tried to involve the boy’s parents as
people. I was so nervous that I dran k a couple of it was a hot, sunny day, and we were thirsty, so we much as possible in their education, and he visited
glasses of champagne to give myself courage. I stopped at a cafe for a cold drink and a snack. So, them at their homes on several occasions.
must have done a pretty good job though, because we sat down at an outside table waiting for the Gareth set up three major activities for the boys
soon afterwards Spielberg came up to me to say
server when we saw a man walking toward us. He to help improve their language skills. The first
thank you and then he said, “I’d I ike you to be my
was wearing a crazy combination o f clothing, and activity was a school debating competition against
interpreter for the w'hole film.” I was so stunned
he kind of looked like a mess. He had a beard, long the girls. The topic that the children had to debate
I had to pinch myself to believe that this was messy brown hair, and lie was wearing a winter was “Computer games should be banncd.”
happening to me.
hat in the middle o f summer! Ny said, “Oh, look When they started to prepare for the debate, the
3 37))) at that poor man. He must be homeless. He looks boys weren’t very enthusiastic, but soon they started to
like he hasn’t taken a shower for some time. He’s get more involved. In the end the girls won the debate,
Interview er So what exactly did you have to do?
also really thin. He must be hungry-should I give but tlie boys had learned to argue and make points, to
D agm ara I had to go to the film set every day and
him some money? She started to look in her bag for express themselves better. They were disappointed
translate Spielberg’s instructions to the Polish some money, but I looked at him again and just said, not to have won, but they wanted to do it again.
actors, and also to the extras. 1 had to make “Don’t!” She couldn't understand why I didn’t want Next, Gareth organized a Reading World Cup,
them understand what he w'anted them to do. It her to give the man some money, and she thought I where the boys had to read in teams. Some of the
w'as really exciting, and 1 often felt as if I was a was being very mean and unfriendly. boys couldn’t read very well, but they all got very
director myself. excited about the World Cup and became much
Interview er So, was it a difficult job? 3 48))) more enthusiastic readers! There was a prize for the
D agm ara Sometimes it was really hard. The worst
When the man had gone past, I said, “Ny, that man winners, and this really motivated the boys.
thing was when we had to shoot a scene again and isn’t homeless. He's Russell Brand, the British Finally, the boys (working with the girls) had to
again because Spielberg thought it wasn’t exactly
comedian and actor.” He’s one of the funniest people write thei r own play and perform it at the local theater.
right. Some scenes were repeated as many as
in show business. And he definitely isn’t homeless- The play they wrote was about Romans and aliens. All
16 times - and then sometimes I would think that
he has a house in the Hollywood Hills and an the children, boys and girls, worked really hard and
maybe it was my fault- that I hadn’t translated
apartment in New York City! And he definitely although some o f them felt very nervous before they
properly what he wanted, so I’d get really nervous.
doesn’t need any money! He just enjoys wearing performed the play, it was a great success and the boys
I remember one scene with lots o f actors in it which comfortable, old, mismatched clothing. I n fact, especially were thrilled. Gareth said afterwards, “It
we just couldn’t get right, and Spielberg started
Russell Brand often talks to the homeless people he was a risk, and it was scary - but it was good scary.”
shouting at me because he was stressed. Eventually
sees on the streets and gives them money or buys
we got it right and then he apologized, and I cried 4 10)))
ıItem food. Even though he looks a little messy and
a 1 ittle, because 1 was also very stressed - and after scary, he's actually a very kind person. Ny was really P art 3
that it was all right again.
surprised. She said that she thought all US celebrities The boys had a great time with Gareth as their
Interviewer So, was Spielberg difficult to work with?
dressed in designer clothes, and had perfect hair and teacher. But at the end o f the eight weeks, had their
D agm ara Not at all. I mean he was very makeup all the time. I told her that in the US, you reading really improved? in the last week of the
demanding, I had to do my best every day, but can’t always judge people by their appearance. A lot quarter, they had to take their national reading
he was really nice to me. I felt he treated me like
of people, even famous celebrities, I ike to dress i n old, exams. The exams were independently marked,
a daughter. For instance, he was always making
mismatched clothing because it’s comfortable, and it and when the results were announced, the boys had
sure that I wasn’t cold - it was freezing on the set helps them blend in with the crowd better so they can made great progress-all o f them had improved
most o f the time - and he would make sure that I
go quietly about their business. by six months and some o f them had advanced the
had a warm coat and gloves and things. equivalent o f two years in just eight weeks!
Interview er Did you ever get to be an extra? 4 8)))
D agm ara Yes, twice! i was going to be in two party P art 1 4 23)))
scenes, and 1 got to wear beautiful long dresses Gareth had only eight weeks for the experiment, 1 My dream house would be in one of our national
and high heels. Unfortunately, one scene didn’t
during which time he would be teaching three days parks like Yellowstone or Redwood. It would
make it to the final cut of the film, and before we
a week. His aim was to try to improve the boys’ be totally green - I’d have solar panels and wind
started shooting the other one I tripped walking reading age by six months. On the other two days turbines, and I’d collect rainwater. The house
down some stairs and twisted my ankle really
the boys would have normal classes with the girls. would be made of wood and would be heated
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