Mathison, 45, a native of Hollywood, started out as a journalist but was drawn to the hometown industry. “I like writing for pictures,” she says. “It seems to click with me to express things visually–if it can work with just a picture, it’s the best way. If you can find the right words, it’s great, but I like to put in silence.”
Mathison’s next project, which Martin Scorsese will direct, is about the young Dalai Lama. “I began research on it four or five years ago,” she says. Shooting may start next spring near Tibet, but Mathison won’t leave her family behind. “Being around Tibetans will be a great treasure of experience for the children,” she says. With her ability to see through kids’ eyes, she should know.
