Published: July 04, 2015| 06:00 AM

The American actor Richard Gere has had a 40-year career, and starred in iconic films such as Days of Heaven, An Officer and a Gentleman and Pretty Woman. Last night he received the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema at the festival’s opening ceremony in the Hotel Thermal’s Grand Hall. His recent films Time Out of Mind and Franny are being screened at the festival.

Of the roles in the two films you have here - a rich, unhappy man in Franny, and homeless George in Time Out of Mind - which character is closer to your heart? And which was harder to play? ​
I like both these characters. Time Out of Mind is something that I’ve worked 12 years on, so I have much more of a commitment to that. And I think what we were trying to do was maybe more uncompromising. We were trying to do something extremely difficult – to make a movie that doesn’t have a lot of narrative drive to it but is immersive. We’re not witnessing the narrative move across the screen. We’re drawn into the screen.

Do you have the privilege of choosing whatever you want to work on these days?
No, I don’t. People have the illusion that I can just choose what I want, but that’s not the case. I’m surprised that I find the work that I do – I made four movies back to back over the past year and a half. I’ve never done that before. It’s not that I need the money – I just liked the projects. In fact, we don’t make any money making these kinds of films. So I’m just doing what I like.

Read the whole interview in today's Festival Daily.