Tribeca Film Festival: A Conversation with Acclaimed Writer/Director Andrea Arnold

Tribeca Film Festival: A Conversation with Acclaimed Writer/Director Andrea Arnold

Tribeca Film Festival: A Conversation with Acclaimed Writer/Director Andrea Arnold

Susan Kouguell
Susan Kouguell
9 years ago

At the Tribeca Talks series at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, filmmaker Ira Sachs ("Love is Strange") interviewed U.K. writer and director Andrea Arnold about writing, filmmaking, and surrendering.

Andrea Arnold

In 2005 Arnold’s short film, Wasp, earned an Academy Award. She also received two BAFTA awards and two jury prizes at Cannes, as well as a multitude of festival accolades for her films, "Milk," "Dog," "Red Road," "Fish Tank" and "Wuthering Heights." On television she has directed two episodes of "Transparent." Arnold's latest film, "American Honey" starring Shia LaBeouf and Riley Keough (recently acquired by A24) about a crew of teens who sell magazines across the Midwest is her first to be filmed in the U.S. "American Honey" is one of just three films from female directors in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival’s main competition and one of two from the U.K.

"American Honey"

On Filmmaking

In Andrea Arnold’s films many of the actors are non-actors and they employ street casting.

Sachs: The shooting process has surprises, dangers, and risks. Arnold: I love that. It brings life. I don’t like knowing everything that’s going to happen on the shoot.

Sachs: What frightens you in filmmaking?

Arnold: I like the obstacles. In the last one (‘American Honey’), I think I pushed it. It was very tough, there were days I had scenes with loads of non-actors, and there were a few days I really pushed it. What are you frightened of?

Sachs: I’m burdened by everything. Arnold: The money?

Sachs: Yes, the money. It’s fear and fearlessness. You navigate between the two; I don’t panic in it.

Arnold: I remember before starting the film, I was taking a lot of risks that definitely entered my head. I try not to let the money stop me, you worry too much then you don’t push it. I do feel responsible for the money.

Sachs: Do you think your filmmaking has changed?

Arnold: I feel like the last film I made was the most me I’ve ever been. I trusted myself totally, the most I’ve ever done. In that way it has changed.

IFC Films - Andrea Arnold's 'Fish Tank'

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About the Author

Susan Kouguell

Susan Kouguell

Film/Theatre Journalist, Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Script Consultant, Author

Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Susan Kouguell serves as chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC - a motion picture consulting company where she works with international writers and filmmakers. She is the Senior Contributing Editor at SCRIPT Magazine. Kouguell teaches screenwriting at P...

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1 Comments on Susan's Article

Tom Lazarus
Script Consultant, Screenwriter, Theatre Director, Playwright, Director
I was recently hired for a script consultation by a serious young writer who keeps current with all the latest movies. As I gave him notes on his screenplay, I would occasionally mention a film as a reference, a teaching moment, but he apparently had no knowledge of any film made more than three years ago. A list of the films this screenwriter hadn't seen and maybe not even heard of: SUNSET BOULEVARD CITIZEN KANE 2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN DOUBLE INDEMNITY THE MALTESE FALCON MR. HULOT'S HOLIDAY DAY FOR NIGHT ANNIE HALL MOONSTRUCK I told him if he watched only these ten movies, he would learn enough to write a great screenplay.
9 years ago
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