MIGHTY APHRODITE

Nicole Kidman has the body of a goddess: rarely has one ever seen such beautiful snow-white skin. She's intelligent, sensitive... breakable. With every new movie one feels her descending into a new experiment, like a falling parachutist. The world is hungry for every new movie Nicole does. As an actor, you're hungry as well: To create, alongside Nicole Kidman, a document that will survive us all. Fascinating, rarely has an actress achieved to be so present in so little time. When I arrived in Sweden to shoot DOGVILLE in deepest winter, I'm anxious to meet Nicole. I await her in front of a fireplace, with crackling wood inside. She enters the room. Lars, introduces me to her, as an old friend. We look at each other, don't speak much. There are moments in life, when you really think about what to say, because you don't want to say something banal. I'm hypnotized by her smile - the unapproachable, perfect woman. We drink red wine to celebrate our movie. It tastes very good. Elegantly we walk up the stairs, approachingthe dining room. What a dinner table: Next to me - Lauren Bacall - the biggest movie-"Diva" of my childhood - opposite me - Nicole Kidman - the star of Here and Now. Sometimes I wish the brain worked like a tape recorder, to record everything. This is such a moment. Next day: first day of shooting. Nicole highly concentrated, in front of the camera. But you don't feel she is acting. She is Grace, her role in the movie. When the shooting ends a couple of weeks later the whole team is sad. "Auf Wiedersehen, I see you." Next time we see each other, it's in Cannes, on the red carpet. I walk up the stairs, opposite Nicole. She wears a breathtakingly beautiful dress: a colourful, transparent "Nothing". Hundreds of photographers around us start to scream: "Ni-cole, Ni-cole! Here, here!" I can't explain this feeling. I'm standing next to Nicole Kidman, goddess of the screen, in the new millenium.

Udo Kier

(German GQ, Oktober 2003; translated by Uwe Huber)

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