Tilda Swinton is universally regarded as a captivating chameleon of a performer. Of late, she has been nearly unrecognizable in a number of films, sometimes due to heavy makeup (“Snowpiercer,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel”) and sometimes due to her versatility and acting chops (“Trainwreck”). She’s always been a delight to watch, which makes the short film “Tilda Swinton” —a whirring, meditative, and dialogue-free examination of Swinton in Shanghai— all the more enjoyable.
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Directed by veteran cinematographer Christophe Doyle (“Hero,” “In The Mood For Love,” though he may be best known for memorable interviews), ‘Tilda,’ set during the Shanghai solstice and shot in 2013, is a watercolor of graceful camera work. Featuring the track “Breathe” by Télépopmusik, the four-minute short manages an impressive level of intimacy.
"I’ve known Tilda since she was 19 years old. She is the great love of my life, but the pleasure of being a cinematographer is that you can love gratuitously without any harm done. We didn’t script it. We shot it in an afternoon," the director told Financial Times.
Check out the video below.