Directors UK Podcast

Alicia Macdonald sits down with Mike Leigh to speak about making her feature film debut with Finding Emily. Alicia shares her creative process, and how she gave a fresh spin on the romantic comedy in this love-letter to one of the coolest cities in the UK.

Hikari speaks with Will Sharpe on her latest film Rental Family. They discuss the nuances of cross-cultural directing, collaborating through improvisation, filming on location, and casting Brendan Fraser.

Kaouther Ben Hania joins Soudade Kaadan to discuss The Voice of Hind Rajab. Kaouther reflects on what it was like working with such challenging subject matter, how staying focused on the importance of the story helped her and her crew remain motivated, and the power of telling a story that truly resonates.

Kate Winslet joins Francis Lee to discuss the work that went into making her emotional directorial debut, Goodbye June. Kate shares insights from her experience working with some of the industry’s most accomplished directors, and her approach to assembling a cast and crew that collaborate effectively.

Lindsay Utz sits down with Lottie Gammon to discuss her latest documentary, Prime Minister (co-directed with Michelle Walshe), which chronicles Jacinda Ardern’s tenure as Prime Minister of New Zealand. Lindsay reflects on how the team secured such extraordinary access, her approach to shaping a compelling narrative from extensive raw footage, and how she and Michelle worked together throughout the filmmaking process.

Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor speaks with Christiana Ebohon-Green on her latest film Dreamers which tells the story of Nigerian migrant Isio, who finds hope in an unexpected love that gives her the strength to fight a broken system. Joy discusses her the work that went into directing this tremendous feature debut, why she thought it was important to add colour to this story of struggle, and more.

Shih-Ching Tsou speaks with Rhianna Dhillon on her latest film Left-Handed Girl. In their conversation Shih-Ching discusses techniques and strategies for shooting in busy public locations, her approach to working with young non-professional actors, and how she had to stand firm on telling her story her own way.

Kleber Mendonça Filho speaks with Walter Salles on his latest film The Secret Agent. Kleber discusses the work that went into crafting such a complex layered film, how he and his editor captured the rhythm of life, and more.

Kirk Jones joins Alex Godfrey for an in-depth discussion on the work that went into directing I Swear, an account of the life of John Davidson, a Tourette syndrome campaigner who grew up with the condition in 1980s Scotland, at a time when it was little known and misunderstood.

Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao joins Joe Wright to discuss the creative processes that shaped her latest film, and her approach to directing.