Claire Denis recently sat down and talked with the Bruzz and this is what she had to say about Rob:

Was Robert Pattinson an obvious choice?

DENIS: Of course not. I thought of the lead character as a mature, world-weary man with a heavy past who has forsaken his sexuality and doesn’t feel like doing anything anymore. I dreamt of casting an extraordinary actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman. Unfortunately, he died before I could offer him the role. But it is very much possible that he would have been a good fit.

I was asked to consider Daniel Craig. I had a meeting with him but I’m not sure if he was really interested. Perhaps he thought of this small film by a French director as a break in a busy career. He has undoubtedly forgotten about me.

I want to be modest, but nobody asked me to work with Pattinson. He approached us. At first I thought he was too young and too iconic. But he insisted and he eventually won me over. The project was postponed several times, but he stayed on board. His trust was my best companion throughout this adventure.

Did the former vampire and teen idol Pattinson know how to handle the baby in High Life?

DENIS: Robert knew that the baby scenes were important and he helped us to look for a baby. Ultimately, the baby in the film is one that he knows well, the daughter of an old school friend. That scene is not chronological at the beginning, but I wanted to open the film with it because that image had impressed itself upon me. A spaceship scouts the furthest reaches of the universe and a baby looks around while a man repairs the spaceship. The man is fundamentally happy with the baby. She provides him with a raison d’être and balance.

Robert made a deep impression on me. He is extremely humble but at the same time, he has a tremendous capacity to express feelings and sentiments. …

Click on the link above to read the full interview.