INTERVIEW: ‘Shepherd’ Director Russell Owen
New British horror Shepherd is about a grief-stricken widow (played by Tom Hughes) who applies for a job as a shepherd on an isolated Scottish island. Once there, he experiences nightmares, visions and loses touch with reality. We spoke to director Russell Owen about filming…
INTERVIEW: ‘Hit-Monkey’s Nobi Nakanishi
Never disregard the monkey business in this one, for you’ll see red. Blood red. After seeing his entire clan killed, a smart but temperamental Japanese macaque (Fred Tatasciore) sets out for revenge. Yes, a macaque. It’s impossible to do it alone, of course, and so assistance…
INTERVIEW: Clifford the Big Red Dog’s Izaac Wang
Ever since his multi-hyphenated introduction as Boun in Raya and the Last Dragon, it’s been a challenge to separate the character and his voice actor, Izaac Wang. How can you, really, when the sprightliness, charm and kindness of Captain Boun is a combination that is…
INTERVIEW: Oscar-winning Composer Rachel Portman on ‘Julia’ and her Career
British composer Rachel Portman has been producing scores for film and TV for four decades. She worked on the classic 80s TV show Jim Henson’s The Storyteller (1987-1989) starring John Hurt and Oranges are Not the Only Fruit (1990) starring Charlotte Coleman. She collaborated with…
INTERVIEW: ‘The Green Knight’ Composer Daniel Hart
The visuals and the sounds of David Lowery’s The Green Knight combine to make an overwhelming experience. The stunning cinematography and use of colour are a huge reason why it’s so good, but so is the aural landscape – the sound design and score. We…
INTERVIEW: ‘Son of Monarchs’ Director Alexis Gambis
In order to push cinema forward, Alexis Gambis is reaching back to the medium’s foundations. A biologist-turned-filmmaker, he uses experimental flourishes to reposition science in movies as something to entrance audiences instead of merely a tool to provide explanation. Where most would look at the…
INTERVIEW: Director Joanna Hogg discusses ‘The Souvenir Part II’
Joanna Hogg is known for her films exploring upper-middle class English families, depicting at times excruciating social awkwardness and the complicated dynamics of relationships through her meticulous blocking, exquisite framing and astute writing. Hogg works in a loose, improvisational style, similar to Mike Leigh; instead…
TIFF INTERVIEW: ‘Medusa’ Director Anita Rocha da Silveira
In Anita Rocha da Silveira’s sophomore feature Medusa, a group of chaste young women split their time between church services and beating up shameful sinners in the name of the Lord. When watched through the lenses of Bolsonaro’s Brazil, the film feels like a cautionary…
TIFF INTERVIEW: ‘Terrorizers’ Director Ho Wi Ding
The adage goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and that is true for Terrorizers, the fourth and latest film from Taiwan-based Malaysian filmmaker Ho Wi Ding. A public slashing incident is at the heart of things, but the characters—more connected than you or…
INTERVIEW: ‘Blue Bayou’ Star Linh-Dan Pham
In Justin Chon’s latest film Blue Bayou, amid the struggle to deal with an unfeelingly issued deportation order, tattoo artist Antonio LeBlanc (Chon himself) finds comfort in a kind Vietnamese-American customer named Parker. Played by Linh-Dan Pham in a heart-rending performance, Parker turns out to…
TIFF INTERVIEW: Dan Stevens Talks ‘I’m Your Man’
Audrey Fox sat down with Dan Stevens to discuss his latest film, I’m Your Man. In this German-language film from Unorthodox director Maria Schrader, Dan plays Tom, an android designed to be the ideal soulmate for Alma (Maren Eggert), a skeptical scientist participating in a…
TIFF INTERVIEW: Director and Stars of ‘Snakehead’
Between 1984 and 2000, Sister Ping, real name Cheng Chui Ping, was the name to be aware of in New York’s Chinatown. In those years, she was the operator of an expansive human smuggling ring—a 蛇头, a snakehead. Her life and legacy served as the…
INTERVIEW: ‘Shang-Chi’ Production Designer Sue Chan
If you ask around, people will have different answers to “What is the most beautiful thing in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings?” The mainstream-level representation. Or the success during the pandemic. Maybe the costumes. The action. Tony Leung, specifically his eyes. In…
