The MK3D team were delighted to return home to the BFI Southbank after a few successful shows at the IMAX. Mark celebrated with a stellar guest lineup in the newly refurbished NFT1.
First up, LFF director Kristy Matheson joined Mark to share her highlights of next month’s LFF. She recommended the opening film, Steve McQueen’s Blitz, and the closing film Piece By Piece, studio feature Conclave, indie film Harvest, and this year’s unexpected gem, The Extraordinary Miss Flower. Tickets for the general public go on sale today.
Next, Mark welcomed iconic actress Juliet Stevenson to discuss her role in Reawakening. She also reminisced about her one-take capture of an iconic scene with Alan Rickman in Truly Madly Deeply, and the magic of working with director Anthony Minghella. Mark also asked her to share her (not so) guilty pleasure, the joyous Toy Story 1.
Writer-director James Watkins then discussed his new film Speak No Evil. He talked about capturing the anxiety of politeness, and the importance of the communal experience of watching films with an audience. Next, he shared the film that changed his life – Once Upon a Time in the West.
After that, Mark was joined by actor Ariyon Bakare to discuss his role in the upcoming BBC series Mr Loverman. Ariyon talked about being true to the queer story, and his hopes that the story will touch viewers, and about the incredibly supportive team on set. He spoke movingly about the influence of Sidney Poitier’s work on his own way of working, notably in a scene between father and son in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
The final guest on the show was the phenomenal Meera Syal, who came straight from rehearsals at the National Theatre for new Tanika Gupta play A Tupperware of Ashes, to talk to Mark about her prolific career as a writer, comedian and actress on stage, TV and film. Meera shared fond memories of working on Bhaji on the Beach, about meeting Donny Osmond on The Kumars at No. 42, and the impossible task of choosing between Donny Osmond and David Cassidy. Meera ended with her guilty pleasure – shark movies!
Another terrific HLA Agency production in partnership with the BFI, hosted by Mark Kermode, produced by Hedda Archbold, with Charlotte Matheson, Jade Evans and Anna Swartz, clips by Nick Jones and fabulous photographs by Julie Edwards Photography.
