Natalie Portman debuts as a director

2 September 2008 03:22pm

Natalie Portman has explained why she had turned her hand to directing, saying there was not always acting work which fulfilled a creative need.

Natalie was discussing her short film Eve at the Venice Film Festival, which marks her directorial debut.

The movie stars Lauren Bacall - and Natalie said it was "rare" to see someone with the actress's experience and wisdom on screen.

Such was the clamour to see Natalie's work when it opened the short films section of the festival on Monday that hundreds of people queued round the block.

The movie concerns a young woman named Kate, who visits her grandmother Lola for dinner, and is surprised to find the older woman is on a date with a man named Joe.

Asked why she became a director, Natalie said: "I was always interested in trying to write and direct.

"We have so much time off between filming as actors that we tend to get restless and we want a creative outlet.

"There is not always acting work that fulfils that need."

She said in the future she hoped to continue her acting career and balance it with directing, adding she had a "whole new respect" for directors.

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