On Tuesday we hosted a special member screening of Dark Waters, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director Todd Haynes.
Todd spoke to fellow director Charles Sturridge about casting for roles based on real people, how much information you need to supply your audience with, and the joys of working in Cincinnati.
If you couldn’t make the event, you can catch up with our live-tweets below.
The Directors UK screenings continue...we cannot wait for our member showing of @DarkWatersMovie - followed by a Q&A with Todd Haynes! Follow #DUKwaters after the film for our live-tweets. pic.twitter.com/QlTHtlSnpx
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Wow, what a powerful and absorbing piece of work that was - now it’s time for the Q&A with director Todd Haynes, moderated by Charles Sturridge. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Charles asks about how the project first came to Todd. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Todd: The first script appeared in 2017, and that came to me via Mark Ruffalo. There was a real urgency to get the story out there, it has such relevance to current events. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Todd: We met with the real Robert Bilott, and he revealed so many stories, and we got such a sense of his personal pain. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Todd: You don’t watch All the Presidents Men to find out the outcome, you’re there to experience and live through a process and see how that develops. The same is true of Dark Waters. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
On working with cinematographer Ed Lachman, Todd says that they both recognised the perfectionist in each other. They developed a rulebook for the project. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
#DUKwaters pic.twitter.com/3UXdv1Vb0N
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
On casting, Charles asks how Todd chooses actors to portray real people. What tells him they’re the right fit? #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Todd: It was such a liberty to be able to meet the people we were basing the film on. I’d shot in Cincinnati before when making Carol, and I knew the wealth of talent that was around. We worked with a lot of amazing local actors. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Todd: In films like this, you want to feel the foundation of information you need is there without the film asking you to recite it back. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Todd: It’s hard to tell a story about a righteous truth-teller in movies, because truth is hard to convey. Movies see themselves a contrast of truth and untruth. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Todd praises the performance of @MarkRuffalo: It’s such a tempered performance, and he was keen to have the real Rob around which meant that I was able to ask the most minute questions. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Charles hands it over to the audience for questions. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
A member asks whether the film is a reaction to Trump, given that he was inspired by 70s films made under the Nixon administration. Todd confirms that it can’t help but be. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
On funding the film, Todd says it was made possible by its social campaigning angle - and there had been a precedent with Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
#DUKwaters pic.twitter.com/ggiPS5T0U8
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
Todd shot the film in January and it’s in cinemas in the US now. They had forty days of shooting in a bitter Ohio winter. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
A member asks how Todd filmed the scene with the frenzied cow. Todd: We just lucked out! We had this trained cow charging incredibly towards the camera! Sometimes you just get lucky. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
And that’s a wrap! Massive thank you to the amazing Todd Phillips and thank you to Charles Sturridge for moderating. #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
.@DarkWatersMovie is a must see, catch it in the UK early in the New Year! #DUKwaters
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) December 10, 2019
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