CATEGORY: ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
INTERVIEW WITH: GLEN HANSARD, MARKETA IRGLOVA
FILM: "FALLING SLOWLY" FROM "ONCE"
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Q. Good to see you. Congratulations, both of you. When you were busking, could you imagine, what would it be like if you had that statue when you were there on the streets? Is this something that ever was in your imagination?
A. Not at all, and this is not when we were kids, we would get really excited, we'd watch the Oscars every year and she'd sit there and talk about what the people wear and what they said and how it was all a fix and she would go on about all these things. And it's amazing for her to be here. And Bono, getting a text from Bono is the biggest thing that can happen to an Irishman and tonight (unintelligible) it was one of those moments, getting praise from the high chieftain of our culture.
Q. I have had some friends back in Boston and they want to know if you are going to do a tour in the U.S.? Performing?
A. Yes. We booked a tour April through May and all over the country and the tour is, like to give you some perspective, two years ago we played just over a year ago we played in a piano bar in New York which is like, 75 people. And we had a great gig and this year we are going back to the Radio City Music Hall, which is like 6,000 people, so just to show you what this film has done for me and Markéta's career as musicians is off the charts and we are happy about all of that and this is just an incredible, weird bonus and the best kind ever. It's amazing.
Q. Congratulations?
A. Thank you.
Q. Hi. I noticed you were on the red carpet earlier with your guitar and I have seen it before and it's a little weather worn. Is there a little story behind this guitar?
A. Actually, I bought the guitar when I was in a movie, (unintelligible) and I got paid a few grand and bought the guitar because I needed it and (unintelligible) I basically wore a hole through it all these years. It's been with me all the way and when John was casting, he said in the script, beat up guitar and a guy with a woolly hat. I told him, well, I have the guitar and so he just used it in the film and I just carry it with me everywhere I go and it made sense to walk on the carpet with it and it's my guitar and I don't want to change who I am just because I'm somewhere else, if that makes sense.
Q. Hi. Over here on your left. Markéta, that was pretty unprecedented to see Jon Stewart call you back out. Did you know it was happening and the microphone was cut and what did you do once you went back stage?
A. I didn't know the microphone was cut. I watched the scene. I did not want to offend anybody by going over time, so (unintelligible) I thought it was near the end when I finished, so I just went to say thank you and I was walking on stage which is what I did, but I didn't realize the microphone was off. And when I came back stage they told me they would bring me out to do the speech and didn't mean to cut me off and that didn't make sense to me, but it was great to get that chance and I'm grateful to them for doing that.
Q. Hi. You came and performed in Boston and congratulations. You guys have a great underdog story. What went through your mind when you heard your name read?
A. Just my mother, my mother. She's so nervous and has been so nervous all year ever since we got the nomination and it was just I guess I don't know. I just it's just like welling up, I don't know what to do and when we made Boston it was Thanksgiving eve and the quietest night of the tour.
Q. Hi there. Congratulations to both of you on your award and congratulations to you for remembering the lyrics, because I know you were worried about that. What was it like performing that song in front of so many people?
A. It's this thing you have to do. I don't know, I guess probably a lot of people do it. You have to sort of keep going we are in a room, the band knows what they are doing and it's almost, if you think about what's going on, it's insane, and you get swept up and the butterflies take over and you are gone. So I had to keep saying, be in the room and look at the people (unintelligible) and focus and you kind of sit there and (unintelligible) and oh, my God, it's amazing. So it was really, really hard.
Q. Hi. Have you got a message for all the people that you see busking on the streets of the UK and is it something that you might have another go at?
A. Actually, it doesn't matter, because even a few months ago, we in Barcelona we both were there for a week and it's a great way to get to know a city. And for me, busking has never really been about I think in your life, if you do things for a reason for instance, especially with "Once," you reach a point in your life where you are trying to get successful and you are trying to work and do it and do it, and then sometimes you have to turn away from it almost, 180 degrees away from it all, because you are not penetrating it. And you find yourself walking around the whole world and then you find yourself here on the other side of the world and that's what's kind of happened to us.
I spent all my career trying to be successful and then said, you know what? It doesn't matter. And turned around and went into myself and actually, I think, when you are in yourself that's where you finally realize and that's (unintelligible) and that can resonate with other people. So really the journey (unintelligible) and ended up at this point, and so I can't believe we are here. It's just fantastic.
Q. Congratulations. We have been with you since the beginning, we've been such fans. One of our producers gave me a tip off last week and she says that you guys told her last week you ran into Melissa Etheridge and you thought it was sort of a very serendipitous moment. Can you talk about that?
A. We were in a restaurant and we sat down and I recognize that's Melissa. She won last year and I went over and I said hey, I just wanted to introduce myself and I'm a big fan and I heard that you won last year and we were nominated this year. And she said you'll be fine, and just go up there and be yourselves. And it was just an amazing thing to do and I was just can I hold the hand that won last year. And it was an just an amazing moment for us.
Q. Congratulations both of you. Just thrilled. What is it about this movie do you think that made it the little train that could. Why did it touch so many people all over the world?
A. Well, I think that me, Glen and John hooked up one January and we set out on a trip to make something that was true to us and that we felt, you know, we could share with other people. And the thing is, nowadays, a lot of the films are being made for different reasons. And (unintelligible) such a great artistic form and most of the time nowadays, they are being made for money and for career and, you know, art is being compromised by how much money a film is expected to gross.
And I think people have this inner intelligence inside that points them at things that resonate with them and I think that for my film, definitely people could feel that I was going for kind of a pure point of mind, which was an artistic one. And I know for myself, I always enjoy movies and art that is made in that way. And I also think that it's a story of love which everybody can somehow connect with because we have all been there, we've all been low or we've all been disappointed and everybody can find something in that. We don't want to take everything by assuming what people liked about it, but at least that's what I liked about the film when I watched it the first time.
A. I think believability, as much as any film, even if the film is not that good if you believe in the characters it helps and I think somebody said somebody made an awful comment.
Someone said that, individuals are really intelligent but people are stupid and so, therefore, you can treat people you can kind of (unintelligible) and you can dictate what they want, but actually, if you believe that, there's no hope for the world at all. You actually have to believe that people are intelligent, because we as individuals are intelligent and we as people are intelligent and if you don't believe that then there's no hope for art (unintelligible) or for your country or for yourself, you know. So it's very important. Believability is everything and if you go on and do something with the right intention, because the intention is everything. It's not about making money and it's not about winning these, even though this is great. It's about making something real and if you do that then these become available to you (indicating) if that makes sense. It's a weird irony.
Q. Thank you very much and congratulations.
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