Academy Award-winning filmmaker Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) may have landed himself back in the running for awards season following the world premiere of his religious drama Conclave at the Toronto International Film Festival. The tense thriller drips with Oscar potential, bolstered by an ensemble featuring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini, who joined Berger at the festival.
Following the unexpected death of the Pope, Conclave takes audiences inside the clandestine election within the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Guided by Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes), cardinals from across the world (played by Lithgow, Tucci, Lucian Msamati, and more) convene at the Vatican to take part in the ancient tradition of vying for the responsibility of becoming Pope. Throughout the proceedings, however, Lawrence is met with conspiracy and doubt that shake his foundation to its core.
While at TIFF, Berger and Rossellini stopped by Collider's studio at the Cinema Center at MARBL to talk with Steve Weintraub about the filmmaking process. Rossellini shares insight into her character, Sister Agnes, a woman surrounded by "120 men that have the total authority of the Vatican," while Award-winning Berger admits that if he isn't prepared to a T, he's "too scared to come to set." Watch the full conversation in the video above or read the transcript below for even more on Conclave and what is (and isn't) coming up next for the director.
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