Rossellini: Let's break rules with movies

Isabella Rossellini enjoys films that break the rules.

The Italian actress made a name for herself in Hollywood in David Lynch's cult classic Blue Velvet in 1986 and has had a steady stream of work since then.

She has also stepped behind the camera for several projects and welcomes the chance to soak up new features as inspiration.

"It is two hours in a dark room and a chance to be transported somewhere else or to learn something completely new. I also look for innovation in narrative, a way of storytelling that is completely new, that breaks rules and makes a new style," she explained to Variety.

Isabella is serving as the president of the Un Certain Regard Jury at Cannes this year, which kicks off today and ends on May 24.

As well as this role, the star is celebrating her late mother Ingrid Bergman, who passed away in 1982, during the festival. The Academy Award winner has been remembered in documentary Ingrid Bergman, In Her Own Words, which was directed by Stig Björkman and opens Cannes Classics.

Isabella has planned other projects to pay homage to her mum too.

"In 1979, my mother wrote an autobiography (My Story) that is now out of print. It captured her sense of humour and her wit. I will be doing a reading from that, along with an actor, in a number of cities, accompanied by clips and photos. In September, I will be in New York and London with Jeremy Irons, and in October, in Paris with Gérard Depardieu, and in Rome with Christian De Sica," she smiled.

She thinks Cannes and other film festivals are the best place to watch movies, and she's looking forward to escaping reality for a while, with no distractions in the form of housework or news.

"I look forward to discovering emerging talent and seeing films that I won’t be able to see anywhere else," she added.