Mad or brave? Natalie Portman on making her directorial debut

Are you crazy?

That, generally, is not the way you want to open an interview with a famous actress. But it seemed the most pressing question to pose to Natalie Portman, who is publicizing one of the most significant films in her career, her feature debut as writer, director, and producer. (She also stars.)

That’s because “A Tale of Love and Darkness” isn’t your typical directorial debut. It’s not a simple genre piece or a little indie romance, but an adaptation of a complex work of contemporary literature by Amos Oz.

Oh, and the film is entirely in Hebrew.

Portman was born in Jerusalem to an Israeli father and an American mother, so she speaks the language, and she’s an avid fan of Israeli authors. But she grew up in America and has spent pretty much her entire career in Hollywood.

Was it not even a little daunting to take on an Israeli production for her debut?

“I really didn’t see it that way at the time,” Portman, 35, said in a recent phone interview. “In retrospect, I think it might have been a little mad.”

Portman said she fell in love with the book, which came out in Israel in 2002. A deeply felt poetic piece, Oz’s book is half memoir, half musing about the nature of memory and its relationship to storytelling. It tells of the author’s childhood in Jerusalem, where his parents emigrated before World War II. It follows Oz’s story through to his early adult years.

“When I read it the first time,” Portman said, “I actually saw a movie in front of my eyes, and I could visualize the film.”

Portman said she felt connected to Oz’s story in a deeply personal way.

“I was really moved by (Oz’s) relationship with his mom and the period of time in Isreal when the story is set. It’s about a history that I’ve heard about all my life from all the family stories I’ve heard.”

Portman met Oz for the first time when she contacted him for permission to film the book.

“He was really helpful in a lot of different ways. He showed me all the photo albums of his family, so I could get a sense of what everyone looked like. And he took me around the neighborhood where he grew up.”

Portman said Oz, who is now 77, was generous to a fault.

“He allowed me a creative space,” she said, “and only made comments if there was a factual mistake.”

Wasn’t Portman afraid of taking such a big creative risk? Of trying to work in the Israeli film industry, which was totally unfamiliar to her? Of possibly facing criticism for misappropriating the work of one of the country’s foremost cultural heroes?

Or was she just … you know?

“I think I was just oblivious to it all,” Portman said. “Sometimes, when you are really excited about something, you don’t realize it’s a really crazy idea.

“I guess I never stopped to think about it,” she added. “Because I’m a totally scared person. If I have an idea that is too risky, I won’t do it.”

Glad she jumped first.