Darren Aronofsky came to San Diego at the end of last year to promote The Wrestler (opening January 9 in select theaters). I moderated a Q&A after a local screening where young filmmakers treated him like a rock star. Aronofsky, who only has a handful of films to his credit, has a reputation for making fiercely independent projects that have won him the respect of these aspiring filmmakers. For The Wrestler , he insisted on casting Mickey Rourke as the down-on-his-luck fighter who tries to launch a comeback despite an aging body. That decision lost him his Hollywood funding and forced him to take a more indie route. But he was right to stick to his guns. Aronofsky and co-star Marisa Tomei came to the KPBS studios to talk about the film.
