Sir Richard Eyre

BAFTA Short Film Paradise Interview

Sir Richard Eyre is one of the UK’s leading theatre, television and film directors. His CV reads like an enviable series of peaks in the UK’s cultural landscape from landmark theatre to groundbreaking television, through to a cinema of emotional sophistication and quality. Here he discusses his cinematic inspirations and influences live on stage in conversation with broadcaster Mark Kermode as part of November 2007’s Encounters Short Film Festival.

Eyre’s work in film reveals a depth of emotion in his characters and their relationships, drawing award-winning performances from such heavyweight actors as Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Jim Broadbent and Kate Winslet.

Mark Kermode is film critic for BBC's Radio 5 Live, and BBC News 24. He is a regular reporter on The Culture Show and Newsnight Review.

Richard discusses his inspirations illustrated by clips from three classic films that have influenced him paired with clips from three of his own films. He relates the films in these pairings: Closely Observed Trains and Notes From a Scandal, The Conformist and The Ploughman’s Lunch and finally On the Waterfront and Iris.