Terry Gilliam has been playing the waiting-for-money game on two features: an adaption of Paul Auster's Mr. Vertigo and a second shot at The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Rather than sit still, he's kept busy by directing the opera The Damnation of Faustus in London and doing a short film called The Wholly Family, which won a European Film Award in December. The 20-minute short was financed by Garofalo, an Italian pasta company, who gave Gilliam the freedom to do whatever he wanted. (But even if it was a commercial, at least his Nike ads were pretty cool. Can't say the same about that Hallowdega energy drink short.)

In the interview above, The Guardian's Xan Brooks talks with Gilliam about making short films late in his career, projects waiting in the wings, being on Facebook, and Monty Python. It's good to see Gilliam's still spry at 71 and that he's still somehow able to laugh.

Best of all, you'll be able to watch Terry Gilliam's The Wholly Family online on January 23rd. The film will be preceded by an interview and followed by a Q&A with Gilliam. (The actual screening/event at the Guardian offices sold out quickly since they only had a handful of tickets.)

After the cut and just for kicks, I've included the two World Cup ads that Gilliam did for Nike back in 2002.

[Via The Guardian]