Right on the heels of the triumphant success of Todd Field’s enthralling orchestral drama TÁR (2022), via a report from IndieWire, the director has officially disclosed that he is working on a new short film called The Fundraiser. Not only that, but the film will likely see leading star Cate Blanchett return once more as disgraced conductor Lydia Tár.
In a conversation with IndieWire, the director teased that the short film is set in the same cinematic universe as TÁR and that audiences can anticipate seeing at least a few familiar faces returning for this mini-sequel. However, he stayed mum on what exactly the plot would entail.
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Regardless, it seems apparent that Field wants to ride TÁR ’s pressed coattails for as long as he can and build at least a bit more upon the mesmerizing and dramatic world he created. The Fundraiser is slated to premiere at the prestigious 2023 Berlinale festival during a table discussion with lead stars Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss, as well as the film’s composer Hildur Guðnadóttir. Whether Field would venture a full-length sequel to TÁR remains to be seen, but given the list of glowing accolades the film has received thus far, it necessarily couldn’t be ruled out.
“You’ll see a few faces and you’ll see some things that I think are surprising.”
The Toxic Dreamscape of TÁR and Blanchett’s Oscar Buzz
TÁR is a psychological drama that intimately follows the personal and professional struggles of world-renowned conductor Lydia Tár and the downward spiral that ensues in her ruthless pursuit of absolute success and fame. It has thematic echoes of films like Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010), which detailed a somewhat similar story of a young woman who suffered a complete psychological breakdown on her journey to become the Swan Queen in the New York City Ballet. TÁR is an experience that not only takes audiences through the cutthroat world of a top-tier professional orchestra but into the mind of a person wrestling with a chaotic flurry of inner conflicts, namely the toxic compulsion to control any and every aspect of everything and everyone around her. Regardless of whom she manipulates and harms, be it her colleagues or her wife, Lydia Tár focuses obscenely on becoming the best conductor in the world until she no longer is.
Cate Blanchett’s performance in the film has already earned her glowing praise on the festival circuit and an ever-growing number of award nominations, including a Golden Globe for Best Actress. The attention undoubtedly has Oscar buzz swirling as well, and soon enough, Blanchett may be able to add a third Oscar award to her shelf, alongside the ones she won for The Aviator (2004) and Blue Jasmine (2013).
