Alfonso Cuaron Admits He Was Worried ‘Roma’ Wouldn’t “Connect In Any Way” With Audiences

By all accounts, Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival and walked away with the event’s biggest award, the coveted Golden Lion, is a masterpiece. Critics who have seen the film aren’t just calling it “good” or “well-done.” People, such as Jessica Kiang in her review, call “Roma” a “stunning” and “immensely moving” film. Needless to say, Cuaron has done it again. But for the filmmaker, this sort of acclaim was hardly guaranteed, and in fact, he worried that “Roma” wouldn’t connect with audiences at all.

READ MORE: Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Roma’ Is An Immensely Moving And Stunningly Personal Glimpse Into The Past [Venice Review]

In a new interview with The Wrap, the acclaimed filmmaker talks about the level of care he put into every aspect of this personal passion project and why he was concerned “Roma” wouldn’t be the best film to make after “Gravity,” but he had no choice.

“Every single object was going to be in its place,” he says, regarding set design on “Roma.” “We were filling up the drawers with stuff — even those drawers that were never going to be opened or in any scene. They needed to have that energy.”

“People would say, ‘It doesn’t matter, you’re never going to open the drawer, what’s the difference?’ But there was a big difference. There is something about the process of trying to portray the real — not trying to be realistic, but trying to get to the essence of the real,” Cuaron explained.

It’s that level of detail, and care, put into “Roma” that elevates the film to incredible heights. And in hindsight, as is always the case, the choice to do this film was inspired. However, when deciding on which film would be his “Gravity” follow-up, Cuaron knew that “Roma” would be a very big risk.

“This was the historical moment that I can do it. I had the resources after the economic success of ‘Gravity’ – I could raise the money to do things this way. But more important, emotionally I was ready and there was a need. You don’t choose projects, they choose you. And once there was this need of doing this film, you go for it,” the filmmaker said.

READ MORE: Alfonso Cuarón Talks ‘Roma’ Release Strategy & Why Netflix Is “Important” For Filmmakers

He continued, “Doing it, I said to people close to me, ‘Look, I have the opportunity of doing this now. I’m not going to question it, but I doubt that this is really going to connect in any way.’”

Obviously, he was completely wrong.

Now, with Netflix footing the bill and distributing globally later this year, audiences all around the world are going to be able to connect with Cuaron’s latest masterpiece. “Roma” is scheduled for release on December 16.