Category: THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR
Visiting Maryland
Co-director Brian Hill lifts the lid on how Maryland, Lucy Kirkwood’s stage play about the culture of violence against women, was transformed into a compelling piece of television starring Hayley Squires and Zawe Ashton.
Shooting Sherwood
Sherwood lead director Lewis Arnold talks to DQ about the success of the James Graham-scripted crime drama, working with the starry British cast and why he almost left the show.
Bringing up The Baby
Lead director Nicole Kassell discusses making Sky and HBO comedy horror The Baby, the show’s mash-up of genres and why it gave her the hardest challenge of her career.
Glutton for Punishment
Downfall director Oliver Hirschbiegel is one of six directors to contribute episodes to German series Strafe (Punishment). He tells DQ about his love of anthologies, stepping into writing and why television needs unique filmmakers.
Shooting a Scandal
Director SJ Clarkson opens up about helming Netflix’s suspenseful thriller Anatomy of a Scandal, bringing drama to a courtroom and how her start in theatre influences her cinematic style.
King maker
Italian star Luca Zingaretti plays tough prison boss Bruno Testori in Sky Italia drama Il Re (The King). Director Giuseppe Gagliardi talks about filming the series inside real prisons and why he won’t judge his morally ambiguous protagonist.
Spy flier
Director James Watkins speaks to DQ about bringing Len Deighton’s iconic spy Harry Palmer to television in six-part drama The Ipcress File and casting Joe Cole in the role made famous by Michael Caine.
Coming to America
In his television pilot Chiqui, director Carlos Cardona charts his parents’ first experiences in the US after arriving from Colombia. He tells DQ about dramatising this very personal story and upending misconceptions about the immigrant experience.
Road less travelled
Award-winning director Auli Mantila reveals how she made Finnish drama Transport, set within the world of Europe’s illicit horse trade, and explains why there needs to be more bravery in television.
Taking the Wheel
Director Ciarán Donnelly discusses directing episodes of epic fantasy adventure The Wheel of Time, which took him to fictional locations such as the Eye of the World and brought him face to face with beastly Trollocs.
Date of the week
Lina Åström speaks to DQ about writing and directing Swedish comedy-drama Ligga and how the series tackles themes of representation, grief and self-acceptance with the story of a newly single woman trying to get over her ex.
Hitting the target
As master archer Hawkeye becomes the latest Avenger to star in their own Disney+ television series, DQ speaks to director Rhys Thomas about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Preparing for War
Director Jessica Hobbs discusses her role on Netflix’s royal drama The Crown and breaks down her work in season four finale War, for which she won an Emmy award.
Truth be told
Director Amora Mautner tells DQ about helming Hidden Truths 2, a Brazilian series that blends mystery, eroticism and seduction in the secret world of fashion.
Into the Unknowns
Director Tawfik Abu-Wael takes DQ inside the making of raw and intense Israeli drama Unknowns, which follows a group of boys on the edge of society who become the prime suspects in a police investigation.
Raising La Fortuna
Award-winning director Alejandro Amenábar tells DQ about making his first television series, La Fortuna, in which a battle wages on land for the spoils of a centuries-old shipwreck discovered in waters off the coast of Spain.
Down and dirty
Revolution is in the air in Germinal, a six-part adaptation of Emile Zola’s classic novel. Director David Hourrègue reveals why he wanted to bring a fresh approach to the story of coal miners in 1860s France.
Life in colour
Colombian filmmaker David David introduces his series Vida de colores (Colourful Life) and talks about diversity in storytelling, his move into television and infusing the story with the sounds and colours of the Caribbean.
Wayne’s world
Australian director Wayne Blair talks about his career working behind the camera in film and television on shows such as Mystery Road and Total Control and the rise of Indigenous filmmaking.
Magic Wanda
WandaVision director Matt Shakman tells DQ about bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe to television, rewatching old sitcoms and why limited series might be the best format for small-screen stories.