Last week our members attended a special screening of On Chesil Beach, followed by a Q&A with director Dominic Cooke — moderated by Gillies Mackinnon.
You can catch up with all the Tweets and a selection of photos from the event below.
Members have just watched a special screening of On Chesil Beach. We’ll now be having a Q&A with director Dominic Cooke #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
The session is being moderated by fellow director Gillies Mackinnon #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Gillies asks Dominic about the length of the scenes in the film #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic explains that that came from his background in theatre. He wanted to give the actors room to breathe and find the scene #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic watched films like The Misfits that were made in the year the film was set, to see how contemporary life was depicted on film then #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
The film depicts the world as it was before the Beatles. People had gone through two World Wars but didn’t know how to express themselves #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
These people were just in the wrong place in the wrong times - they don’t have the language or context to know how to act #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
One of the ways they tried to depict that in the film was in the way the sets were dressed #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
All the rooms and furniture belonged to parents or other people. The locations they are in are never their own #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Gillies: what was the most surprising thing for you coming from theatre and moving into film? #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic: that it’s so enjoyable! #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Even the most stressful parts of the job are exciting. And nothing compares to the excitement you get on set #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
It’s very different to theatre, where the whole process is a lot more staggered #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
The main difference is the level of executive “participation” in film. There’s nothing like that in theatre, even when working with the most commercial producers #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic tells us about the first scene he filmed with Anne-Marie Duff, a nude scene, which he went into not knowing her or having been able to rehearse together #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Again, that’s very different to theatre but in situations like that you bring with you the skills you’ve developed about working with actors #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic explains that every flashback in the film has its own logic that fits inside the main narrative #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
And so some lovely scenes were lost along the way that didn’t quite fit inside that narrative #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic tells us about his very positive working relationship with the book’s author, Ian McEwan #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Ian gave him “muscular notes” throughout that he found really helpful #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Questions from the audience now #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
A member asks Dominic how the project came about. Did he know Ian McEwan beforehand? #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic: no. It all came about through his agent. He was working on a few other projects but then she passed him this script #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Ian McEwan wrote the script over 5 years ago and it’s languished ever since. It was nearly made a couple of times with other directors but it never quite happened #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic read the script and loved it. A meeting was arranged with Ian - he was quite reticent though because it hadn’t worked out all those times before #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
But Dominic was able to convince him, and they worked very closely together #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Ian suggested casting Saorise. She had been amazing a lady a child in Atonement and he thought she’d be perfect for this role #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Question: how close was the final product to what you had in your head when you started? #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Dominic: fairly close. One thing I’ve learnt in my career is that you can’t control other people’s relationship with your work - you can only control your own #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
As long as you retain that bit of yourself in there, that integrity, you can hold your head up high #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
That’s a wrap! A big thank you to director Dominic Cooke for joining us, and to Gillies Mackinnon for moderating #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Make sure you go and see On Chesil Beach when it opens in cinemas on 18 May #DUKChesil
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) May 10, 2018
Saw the beautifully crafted and poignant #OnChesilBeach last night - direction and performances superb. Thank u @Directors_UK #DominicCooke #GilliesMacKinnon 4 generous Q&A. @number9films @LionsgateUK @BBCFilms pic.twitter.com/tuVtdLCuof
— Robert Hackett (@RobertHackett1) May 11, 2018
Just went to see On Chesil Beach with @Directors_UK What a gorgeous film!
— MaryMullan (@MaryMullan) May 10, 2018
Scroll down for photos from the event.
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