On September 3, 2024, Daniel Craig’s “Queer” celebrated its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The British actor, who has made a name for himself worldwide primarily through the “James Bond” series, showcases a new side of himself in this romantic drama directed by Luca Guadagnino, allowing for explicit sex scenes with his co-star Drew Starkey. To keep the mood light during these scenes, many gags were made on set.
“We wanted to make it as touching, real, and natural as possible”
About the content of “Queer”: It is based on a semi-autobiographical narrative by William S. Burroughs and is set in Mexico in the 1950s. Craig portrays the American immigrant Lee, who falls in love with the young Eugene, played by Drew Starkey. The two begin an affair, but Eugene is emotionally less involved. Together they embark on a journey to South America in search of a psychedelic drug. The film navigates a tension between love, loss, and longing. For Craig, who describes the film as “raw and revealing,” the role reflects all the facets that challenge him as an actor. Director Guadagnino, who first read the book at the age of 17, stated that it deeply moved him at the time, ultimately leading him to adapt the work into a film.
At the premiere press conference, Craig’s sex scenes with Starkey were particularly in focus. When asked about it, the 56-year-old explained: “You know as well as I do that filming a sex scene on a film set is not intimate. There’s a group of people watching you.” Yet, there was a special expectation for these movie moments: “We wanted to make it as touching, real, and natural as possible.”
A way to allow for a certain naturalness and looseness seems to be humor for the actor. He told the press in Venice: “We just laughed. We tried to make it funny.”
Director Luca Guadagnino, Drew Starkey, and Daniel Craig during the 81st International Film Festival in Venice
Oscar Hope for Daniel Craig?
“Queer” received nine minutes of standing ovation at its premiere in a full cinema at the Lido. Daniel Craig’s performance as the film’s main character has been praised by critics as one of the best of his career. Festival director Alberto Barbera also expressed enthusiasm for Craig’s performance and forecasted a possible Oscar nomination for the actor. It would be Craig’s first nomination.
The two-and-a-half-hour drama by the “Call Me By Your Name” director does not yet have a release date in Germany.