Johnny Depp reveals plans to create paintings with Saudi artist Ahmed Mater

It has been more than two years since Johnny Depp began his warm relationship with Saudi Arabia, and that bond continues to bear fruit for the American star.

Speaking to The National at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Depp revealed that he has struck up a friendship with Saudi artist Ahmed Mater after visiting his studio in the city last December. They plan to create artworks together in the near future.

“I admire him greatly. He's very special, and very important,” Depp says. “I spent some time with him at his studio and we had a great experience. Then he came to London and we spent more time together. We've been talking about making some paintings together, and I'm hoping that happens.”

Depp, 61, has been particularly focused on fine art recently. On Thursday, he premiered his second directorial work, Modi: Three Days on The Wing of Madness, which is centred on the life of early 20th century Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, at the festival in Jeddah. The film, which was supported by Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Fund, stars Riccardo Scamarcio in the title role, alongside Antonia Desplat and Al Pacino.

Pacino and Depp first discussed the film on the set of their 1997 movie Donnie Brasco, Depp says, with Pacino to take the starring role. That plan did not come to fruition, but Pacino asked Depp to revive the project with a different leading actor.

“Al Pacino called me and said, 'Hey remember that movie we were going to do after Donnie Brasco?' He said, 'I was thinking about it, and I think you should direct it now.' And at that point I don't think I'd thought about directing another film in 27 years. But for some reason I just thought, 'yeah, all right'.”

Depp first feature film as director was 1997's The Brave, also co-starring with Marlon Brando. The experience did not go exactly as he had wanted, he says, because he rushed the editing process to get the project ready to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, which he regrets in hindsight.

“When I did The Brave, I dove into something most assuredly that was far, far bigger than my experience. Even though I'm happy with that version of the film, I don't know that I really had the time to exactly make or say what I wanted,” Depp says.

He did not begin Modi with a “great vision, or any strong plans”, he says, instead taking a more organic approach. Each day, he would show up on set and work with the actors until he hit a point of inspiration.

“It was free. There was nothing the actors couldn't attempt or try. They were free to explore whatever they believed their characters would do in that instant. My job was really just about capturing. The film itself started telling me what it wanted to be.”

There's another key reason that he enjoyed directing Modi more than his first experience – he does not act in it. “With The Brave, I had written the thing and directed the thing and I had to be in it, too. I hated it. I stopped watching dailies because I couldn't stand seeing myself. It was horrible. On this one, it was a pleasure to not see me on screen,” says Depp.

He is also grateful for the support of the Red Sea Film Fund, and glad to be free of the major Hollywood studios which often provide copious notes on minor details that do not always benefit the project, he says.

“Red Sea has been incredibly supportive on a number of films I've done recently, and they have a real understanding of the big picture. There's trust and belief in the filmmaker, and it gives you the freedom to make the film that you want to make,” says Depp.

For him, the film is his treatise on the importance of pursuing art for art's sake, and overcoming the obstacles of commercial interests, bad press and self-doubt along the way.

“We want our kids to understand that whatever their passion is, they have every right in the world to dive into that. We always think we're nothing – it's a lie the brain tells itself. It's something put in a child's head that they will never make anything. It's our duty to offer something positive,” says Depp.

Depp explores these issues in a key scene that features a confrontation between an art collector, played by Pacino, and Modigliani. “We shot the first take and it was 21 minutes long. I had three cameras going like it was an action scene. It was this amazing verbal dance about the integrity of the artist,” says Depp.

“There's this endless eternal battle between commerce and art, and it doesn't matter. Ultimately, art will win.”