Category: THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR
Rising from the ashes
Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur tells DQ about the ideas and psychology behind his supernatural Netflix series Katla, filming during the Covid-19 pandemic and recreating a volcanic eruption.
Family viewing
Three Families director Alex Kalymnios and cinematographer Ula Pontikos discuss their work on this two-part BBC drama, which follows the real-life stories of a mother and two women affected by Northern Ireland’s restrictive abortion laws.
Slowing down
Director Eric Toledano opens up about producing En Thérapie, the French adaptation of Israel’s BeTipul (In Treatment), and reveals why this quiet series is the perfect antidote to an increasingly fast-paced world.
Directing Marvel
Kari Skogland, the director of The Falcon & the Winter Soldier, tells DQ about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reveals how extreme sports inspired her approach to filming the six-part event series.
Emergency call
Three years after its first season, French series Hippocrate (Interns) returns as its young doctors find themselves dealing with A&E patients in a flooded hospital. Director Thomas Lilti tells DQ about ramping up the tension in this ultra-realistic medical drama.
Directing Unforgotten
Over four seasons, Andy Wilson has directed every episode of cold-case drama Unforgotten. He tells DQ about the show’s unique filming schedule, its naturalistic style and his relationship with stars Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Freedom fighter
In Brazilian drama Os últimos dias de Gilda (The Last Days of Gilda), free-living Gilda resists oppression from her religious neighbours. Series creator Gustavo Pizzi tells DQ about adapting a stage monologue for television and how real life mirrored the show’s themes during production.
Bier’s craft
Danish director Susanne Bier opens up about her film and television career, winning an Oscar and working with Nicole Kidman on HBO thriller The Undoing.
When Roald met Beatrix
A real-life encounter between beloved authors Roald Dahl and Beatrix Potter serves as the inspiration behind Sky’s Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse. Director David Kerr tells DQ about the magic behind this festive family film and discusses working with animals.
Hatching Chicks
Writer and director Eduard Oganesyan speaks to DQ about Chicks, a Russian drama in which four fearless women fight for independence in a provincial town that is dominated by men.
Axe to grind
12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen comes to the small screen for the first time with Small Axe, a series of feature-length TV films focusing on London’s West Indian community. He reveals how the long-gestating project took shape and explains how these historical stories look to the future.
Team talk
Director Peter Grönlund tells DQ about filming “dark fairytale” Björnstad (Beartown), a Swedish drama about a small-town hockey team and a brutal crime that tears the community apart.
Kiss chase
Mary Poppins Returns star Emily Mortimer opens up about writing and directing The Pursuit of Love for the BBC and Amazon, adapting Nancy Mitford’s novel and why she wanted to fire herself.
Mountain mystery
Based on real events, Russian thriller Pereval Dyatlova (Dead Mountain: The Dyatlov Pass Incident) posits what happened when nine students set out on a ski trek in 1959 and were never seen again.
Case study
Tobias Lindholm, writer and director of Danish real-life drama Efterforskningen (The Investigation), reveals why he wanted to tell the story of the people working to solve the 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall.
Unhappy holidays
Us director Geoffrey Sax tells DQ how the BBC drama was filmed across Europe to tell the story of a family on the verge of splitting up as they embark on one final holiday together.
Sherlock abroad
Nurbek Egen, director of Sherlock: The Russian Chronicles, introduces DQ to this Russian take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective, pitting him against Jack the Ripper and recreating 1880s St Petersburg.
Building up Hope
Director Elena Hazanova tells DQ about making Russian drama Hope, an action espionage series about a wife and mother living a double life as a brutal and efficient contract killer.
Deception point
Chloë Thomas, the director of psychological thriller The Deceived, tells DQ about filming the four-part drama, channelling Alfred Hitchcock and burning down the set.
A breath of fresh Nair
In her television debut, award-winning Indian filmmaker Mira Nair has partnered with screenwriter Andrew Davies to bring Vikram Seth’s novel A Suitable Boy to the small screen. She tells DQ how she has embraced longform storytelling.