Tahar Rahim on Method Waterboarding in ‘The Mauritanian’

Can you give us particulars on going ‘all-in’?

I dropped a ton of weight—22 pounds—in a quite small quantity of time. I asked props to provide me authentic shackles, to switch the mobile as cold as doable. And I knowledgeable waterboarding and power-feeding.

You voluntarily underwent torture?

We experienced codes in circumstance I place myself in hazard, but yeah. Different videos demand from customers diverse strategies. I wasn’t able to make up this portion in my head and make it appear genuine. I didn’t want to promote some thing. I preferred the viewers to feel it. The movie is not about regardless of whether you assume Mohamedou’s responsible or not. It’s about human legal rights.

We know about most of the harsh ailments at Gitmo. Was there something you identified during manufacturing that stunned you outside of the common headlines?

Mohamedou’s cell. When I went on set, I needed to shell out some time in the mobile to just working experience it. It’s surprising because you barely have the area to lie down. The light is on 24 hours a day. And it’s all designed out of steel so the sound is intensive. It is frightening. And then in the courtyard, you cannot even talk to a co-detainee. Mohamedou hardly ever observed a different detainee other than for a person minor second.

What was assembly Mohamedou like?

The meeting was a memorable moment, and this face will continue to be written in my coronary heart for everyday living. I was so surprised to see that a man who lived by this could smile, crack jokes, chat about motion pictures or audio, and check with about your loved ones. If it was not a genuine story, it would be tough for me to consider. I had to question him some touchy concerns. But when we started off to speak about Gitmo, he adjusted. He was restless. I could see the trauma coming to everyday living on his facial area. I felt so negative that I stopped inquiring queries. I try to remember indicating to myself, ‘Who do you think you are to deliver him again there? Stop it now.’