Steven Soderbergh, Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, Richard LaGravenese and producer Jerry Weintraub attended the press conference for the biopic about Valentino Liberace: Behind The Candelabra. Selected extracts.

About Valentino Liberace
Jerry Weintraub : I am the only one old enough at this table to have known him personally. He led an extraordinary life. There was just the secret of his homosexuality. There were a lot of women in his audiences and they were all in love with him, which made his coming out difficult at the time.
Michael Douglas: I met him when I was twelve. I bumped into him at Palm Springs with my dad who knew him a little. He was wearing so much jewellery that he sparkled in the sun. He was the predecessor of stars such as Elton John.
About filming:
Michael Douglas: It was just after my cancer and Steven gave me the gift of this incredible role. I am very grateful to the whole team for waiting for me.
Matt Damon: This is the seventh time I have worked with Steven. During filming, he went even further than usual from a technical point of view. He created a website that allowed the team to follow filming in real time. In the evening, I could see the result of what we had filmed that day. As an actor, it’s important to have access to all this information.
Steven Soderbergh on his retirement:
I want a break. I can’t say if it’s my last film or not. Behind The Candelabra has a direct link with my first film: they both talk about people living in their own world. In terms of style, I think I have made some progress, my mise en scène is clearer and more direct than at the time.