President and CEO of Toronto’s Capri Films, Gabriella Martinelli produced David Cronenberg’s M. Butterfly as well as Clive Barker’s Nightbreed, in which Cronenberg performs. She also served as coproducer on Naked Lunch and as production manager and post-production supervisor on Dead Ringers.

As a filmmaker, volumes have been written about David’s unique brilliance and his contribution to cinema. In Paris, they even offer a university course on Cronenberg films. From a personal standpoint, it was always fascinating to watch people’s reactions to David – as a director and as an actor.

Clive Barker cast David as the psychotic psychiatrist in Nightbreed fresh off his success as author of Books of Blood and as director of the fantasy horror Hellraiser. He had seen David in a television interview and felt his cadence and soft-spoken manner fit the role perfectly. But it was more than that – David was Clive’s hero.

While I had no doubt that David was aware of this, he was always extremely respectful of this young director. Someone in the same position may have been tempted to suggest this lens or that, or perhaps offer up alternatives within the construction of a scene. But David, the actor, did not cross that line. He understood the process of this young filmmaker and knew how important it was to let Clive make his own movie.

Later on, when everyone got to know each other better, Clive did on occasion ask David’s input, and he gave it generously. It was incredible to watch these two princes of horror discuss the finer points of the trade.

Anyone working in film production usually has a particular shoot day that stands out from the rest. I think anyone who was in China for M. Butterfly remembers the day the call sheet read ‘The Great Wall of China.’

It was a pivotal picnic scene, establishing an intimacy between the two leads. David, director of photography Peter Suschitzky and production designer Carol Spier had taken great care to find a magnificent spot along the wall, far from any tourists, where there was silence and a magnificent vista. The location and the logistics of getting there had been planned for months. David’s core Canadian team and more than 100 Chinese crew carried gear along the wall to this perfect spot.

Finally, everything was in place. From our vantage point, you could see for miles and miles. Then, in the vastness of this landscape, something was spotted moving within the perfect frame – people. In the distance, a film crew from Europe was shooting a commercial on The Great Wall.

It is no easy task to get permission to shoot on The Great Wall. The commercial and feature film departments within the Chinese film office had not communicated with each other, and both issued permits for the same day in the same perfect location.

David handled this compromising situation in his usual style. He assessed the situation, remained calm and did not impart blame. He found another perfect shot, and, after the necessary adjustments, got on with the day.

In my 20-plus years in film, it remains one of my most memorable days in film.