This April, on the 79th MK3D show at the BFI Southbank, Mark Kermode was joined by four special guests. Producer Hedda Archbold had invited director Andrew Legge, director Pravesh Kumar, actress Josie Lawrence, and actor Brian Cox. NFT1 was filled with a lively audience for detailed discussions of all things film.
First to join Mark on stage was director Andrew Legge, who spoke about his film LOLA, an Irish-British ‘found footage’ science fiction film starring Emma Appleton and Stefanie Martini. Andrew talked about the problem of raising funds for this hard-to-describe original concept.
Next, Mark welcomed director Pravesh Kumar to talk about his film LITTLE ENGLISH, about a dysfunctional Punjabi family in the pressured life of a terraced suburban home in Slough. Pravesh also spoke about the film that changed his life, PAKEEZAH (dir Kamal Amrohi,1972).
During Here’s the Thing Mark paid homage to the life and work of Ryuchi Sakamoto, who recently passed away, by revisiting the theme music to MERRY CHRISTMAS MR LAWRENCE (dir. Nagisa Ôshima, 1983).
Mark’s next guest was actress Josie Lawrence, who spoke about her role in A CLEVER WOMAN (dir Jon Sanders), a feature film made through improvised scenes. She also talked about a significant performance that influenced her own work: Ruth Gordon in ROSEMARY’S BABY.
Last on stage was actor Brian Cox, who joined Mark in conversation about the TV series SUCCESSION, which is just releasing its fourth season. Brian also talked about some of his earlier screen work, notably in MANHUNTER (dir Michael Mann, 1986) as Hannibal Lecter and Big John in L.I.E. (dir Michael Cuesta, 2001), and about the actors who influenced him: particularly Spencer Tracey in BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (dir John Sturges, 1955), and in WOMAN OF THE YEAR (dir George Stevens, 1942). And Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in BRINGING UP BABY (dir Howard Hawks, 1938)
Mark closed the show with Sound and Vision, paying special tribute to Burt Bacharach’s Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, from BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, (dir George Roy Hill, 1969).
Fantastic photography by Julie Edwards
