For Adolpho Veloso, the cinematographer of Train Dreams, the alluve of cinema began in his childhood in Brazil. Watching films “opened up doors to other worlds, cultures and environments,” he tells Gold Derby.
For his latest film, stepping into the life of a logger in the Pacific Northwest in the early 20th century proved to be another world-expanding experience. “One of the biggest pleasures of doing this movie was to be able to shoot everything on location in the Pacific Northwest, which is beautiful. We found amazing locations in Washington state. I feel like nature in the movie is basically a character.”
More from Gold Derby
The Netflix film features a variety of natural elements — from rain and snow to sun and fire — highlighting just how powerful and awe-inspiring nature can be. One of the key lessons Veloso learned about working outside is to accept what you are given rather than trying to change it: “Embrace everything that nature is giving you. If you are expecting a sunny day and it’s raining, just embrace it,” he says. “It might be better than what you thought before.”
Directed by Clint Bentley and based on the acclaimed novella by Denis Johnson, the film recounts the life of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a logger who must leave his wife, Gladys (Felicity Jones), and their daughter for long stretches as the travels to find work. And then tragedy strikes. Bentley cowrote the script with Greg Kwedar, marking their first collaboration since the Oscar-nominated Sing Sing. The film also features new music by Nick Cave, who cowrote and coproduced the song with composer Bryce Dessner (of the National).
Adolpho VelosoUnique Nicole/Getty Images for Netflix
While Veloso loved filming the sweeping natural landscapes, he also cherished the intimate, quiet exchanges between Edgerton and Jones. “A lot of those little moments with Joel and Felicity in the cabin were were improvised. It was basically just me following them with a camera and letting them do their things,” he explains. “They would interact with the chickens and with the baby and go to the river and it was just special to shoot those things and to see that happening.”
Veloso, who previously collaborated with Bentley on 2021’s Jockey, recalls instantly connecting with the main character upon reading the script.
“I remember really feeling that life of that man that goes away from home and stays several months away working with a bunch of people that he never met before that he might never see again and then he goes back home,” Veloso said. “It’s basically my life, going away for several months to do a movie with people that I’ve never seen before, that I might never see again. And then going back home, it’s always hard to feel that you belong. So I really connected to the story from start.”
Veloso says the film’s final scene, in which Robert flies in a plane for the first time as memories of his life rush through his mind, was particularly moving. “It just felt so emotional to watch it for the first time,” he says. “When it finishes and Nick Cave’s song comes in the credit, the first time I watch that, I just cried.”
Best of Gold Derby
Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.