Jesse Eisenberg

This is what my life is like now. It is, right?

This is what my life is like now. It is, right?

Can't I just walk down the streets of New York and people just erupt in cheers? Well, they're standing already when we pass on the streets. That is. Yeah, but they will start clapping.

Can't I just walk down the streets of New York and people just erupt in cheers? Well, they're standing already when we pass on the streets. That is. Yeah, but they will start clapping.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Almost no one sits down when I pass them on the street. God bless you. Yeah.

Almost no one sits down when I pass them on the street. God bless you. Yeah.

Yeah, exactly. Another hysterical Holocaust. Oh, here we go. No, I was thinking the exact, I mean, I was thinking like, really, like if I'm going to do a movie about like this theme and it's something that's on my mind all the time as, you know, third generation American Jew from Poland. Yeah.

Yeah, exactly. Another hysterical Holocaust. Oh, here we go. No, I was thinking the exact, I mean, I was thinking like, really, like if I'm going to do a movie about like this theme and it's something that's on my mind all the time as, you know, third generation American Jew from Poland. Yeah.

You know, I wanted to just make something that felt like something I had not seen before, something, like, not sanctimonious or academic. There are a lot of, you know, Holocaust movies that give you the sense that, like, they're punishing you for being in the audience and not being brave enough to be in this film. You know, so I didn't want to do that.

You know, I wanted to just make something that felt like something I had not seen before, something, like, not sanctimonious or academic. There are a lot of, you know, Holocaust movies that give you the sense that, like, they're punishing you for being in the audience and not being brave enough to be in this film. You know, so I didn't want to do that.

Exactly.

Exactly.

This is the nugget I've been trying to unpack for, like, 20 years. Like, once I learned about my family's, like, history, I just became so aware of, like, my own good fortune, but also my own misery compared to their horrible fortune and the way they appreciate the world. And, like, I just couldn't reconcile, like, why am I miserable when my life is so, like, fundamentally safe and fine?

This is the nugget I've been trying to unpack for, like, 20 years. Like, once I learned about my family's, like, history, I just became so aware of, like, my own good fortune, but also my own misery compared to their horrible fortune and the way they appreciate the world. And, like, I just couldn't reconcile, like, why am I miserable when my life is so, like, fundamentally safe and fine?

And why did they seem happier than me when they suffered? And I still can't figure it out, but I suppose it comes from, like, a... some lack of meaning in my life. And so that's kind of what the script came out of.

And why did they seem happier than me when they suffered? And I still can't figure it out, but I suppose it comes from, like, a... some lack of meaning in my life. And so that's kind of what the script came out of.

For some reason, the lack has gone deeper. Wow, is that right? Yes. Just like a worthless pursuit. It's even worse because like now, I mean, and I thank you so much for like clapping and everything, but like, because I'm like... But a waste of time, but a total waste of time. No, no, no, no, no.

For some reason, the lack has gone deeper. Wow, is that right? Yes. Just like a worthless pursuit. It's even worse because like now, I mean, and I thank you so much for like clapping and everything, but like, because I'm like... But a waste of time, but a total waste of time. No, no, no, no, no.