Features and reviews

Discover the latest from the BFI, the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image.

From the Sight and Sound archive

“When you stop shooting, that’s when the best thing is going to happen. You have to persevere”: an interview with Frederick Wiseman

In 2015, David Jenkins spoke with the veteran documentary filmmaker for National Gallery. In this enlightening interview, Wiseman reveals his working process, his relationship to public institutions and his love of a good typeface.

By David Jenkins

“When you stop shooting, that’s when the best thing is going to happen. You have to persevere”: an interview with Frederick Wiseman

Interviews

Choosing 100 essential Black films: an interview with Ashley Clark

By Alex Ramon

Choosing 100 essential Black films: an interview with Ashley Clark

From the Sight and Sound archive

“Until you see someone like you doing something, you can never imagine yourself doing it”: Spike Lee on Malcolm X, role models and the press

By James Verniere

“Until you see someone like you doing something, you can never imagine yourself doing it”: Spike Lee on Malcolm X, role models and the press

Influences and inspirations

“There’s a kind of wet heat in there that you can feel”: Emerald Fennell on 7 films that influenced her version of Wuthering Heights

By Lillian Crawford

“There’s a kind of wet heat in there that you can feel”: Emerald Fennell on 7 films that influenced her version of Wuthering Heights

Interviews

“Children give you permission to dream”: Akinola Davies Jr on My Father’s Shadow

By Hope Rangaswami

“Children give you permission to dream”: Akinola Davies Jr on My Father’s Shadow

Interviews

“Friedkin saw American Animals and summoned me to lunch”: Bart Layton on his LA heist thriller Crime 101

By Lou Thomas

“Friedkin saw American Animals and summoned me to lunch”: Bart Layton on his LA heist thriller Crime 101

Interviews

“Time is a better curator”: Ethan Hawke on relevance, reinvention and the new rules of engagement

By Sam Wigley

“Time is a better curator”: Ethan Hawke on relevance, reinvention and the new rules of engagement

Interviews

“The sexiness of queerness is that there’s no fixed role”: Julia Jackman on 100 Nights of Hero

By Blake Simons

“The sexiness of queerness is that there’s no fixed role”: Julia Jackman on 100 Nights of Hero

Interviews

“Man of Principle”: Agnieszka Holland remembers Andrzej Wajda

By Agnieszka Holland

“Man of Principle”: Agnieszka Holland remembers Andrzej Wajda

Interviews

How I became Jean-Luc Godard

By Guillaume Marbeck

How I became Jean-Luc Godard

Interviews

“Claire Foy was a natural at falconry”: Philippa Lowthorpe on H is for Hawk

By Josh Slater-Williams

“Claire Foy was a natural at falconry”: Philippa Lowthorpe on H is for Hawk

Interviews

The Incomer: director Louis Paxton on his darkly funny tale of siblings, islands and isolation

By Lou Thomas

The Incomer: director Louis Paxton on his darkly funny tale of siblings, islands and isolation

Interviews

Andrea Luka Zimmerman: “The 90s were amazing, but the brutal violence was real”

By Georgia Korossi

Andrea Luka Zimmerman: “The 90s were amazing, but the brutal violence was real”

Interviews

Nia DaCosta on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: “This whole movie is a tonal tightrope walk”

By Lou Thomas

Nia DaCosta on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: “This whole movie is a tonal tightrope walk”

From the Sight and Sound archive

“This is definitely a closing movie because I collected everything”: Béla Tarr on his final film, The Turin Horse

By Jonathan Romney

“This is definitely a closing movie because I collected everything”: Béla Tarr on his final film, The Turin Horse

Interviews

Béla Tarr on Sátántangó at 30: “The length of a movie all depends on what you want to say. I don’t care what is acceptable”

By Alex Barrett

Béla Tarr on Sátántangó at 30: “The length of a movie all depends on what you want to say. I don’t care what is acceptable”

Interviews

Avatar costume designer Deborah L. Scott on creating costumes for CGI: “I started off dropping things in a fishtank”

By Scarlett Harris

Avatar costume designer Deborah L. Scott on creating costumes for CGI: “I started off dropping things in a fishtank”

Interviews

Shoot to thrill: Kathryn Bigelow on A House of Dynamite and her dynamic career

By Henry K Miller

Shoot to thrill: Kathryn Bigelow on A House of Dynamite and her dynamic career

Interviews

“This one is a little more gothic horror”: Josh O’Connor and Rian Johnson on Wake Up Dead Man

By Lou Thomas

“This one is a little more gothic horror”: Josh O’Connor and Rian Johnson on Wake Up Dead Man

Interviews

Rob Reiner: how we made This Is Spinal Tap

By Lou Thomas

Rob Reiner: how we made This Is Spinal Tap

Black Film Bulletin

Shoot the People: Misan Harriman and Andy Mundy-Castle in conversation with Afua Hirsch

By Afua Hirsch

Shoot the People: Misan Harriman and Andy Mundy-Castle in conversation with Afua Hirsch

Interviews

Cemetery of splendour: David Cronenberg on The Shrouds

By Erika Balsom

Cemetery of splendour: David Cronenberg on The Shrouds

Interviews

“Nothing is a slam dunk anymore”: Steven Soderbergh on Black Bag

By Philip Concannon

“Nothing is a slam dunk anymore”: Steven Soderbergh on Black Bag

Interviews

Close encounters in the Atlas mountains: Sofia Alaoui on her haunting debut Animalia

By Elhum Shakerifar

Close encounters in the Atlas mountains: Sofia Alaoui on her haunting debut Animalia

Interviews

“It’s important to try and find the humanity in the people we abhor”: Ari Aster on Eddington

By Thomas Flew

“It’s important to try and find the humanity in the people we abhor”: Ari Aster on Eddington

Interviews

Enemy of the state: Jafar Panahi on It Was Just an Accident

By Jonathan Romney

Enemy of the state: Jafar Panahi on It Was Just an Accident

Interviews

James L. Brooks on his return to directing: “The word ‘content’ is not my favourite”

By Leigh Singer

James L. Brooks on his return to directing: “The word ‘content’ is not my favourite”

Interviews

“Pinch me!”: Harry Lighton on his dom-com debut Pillion

By Jane Giles

“Pinch me!”: Harry Lighton on his dom-com debut Pillion

Interviews

The art of the steal: Kelly Reichardt on The Mastermind

By Beatrice Loayza

The art of the steal: Kelly Reichardt on The Mastermind

Interviews

Into the lion’s den: Wes Anderson on The Phoenician Scheme

By Arjun Sajip

Into the lion’s den: Wes Anderson on The Phoenician Scheme