Today I'm joined by SOPHIE HYDE, one of my favorite contemporary Australian filmmakers – director of numerous documentaries, short films, and TV series and feature films such as ‘52 Tuesdays’, ‘Animals’, ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’, and the upcoming ‘Jimpa’ starring Olivia Coleman and John Lithgow and ‘The Ideal Wife’ starring Emilia Clarke. Her filmmaking is deeply collaborative, structurally challenging, and very often transgressive. We’re going to dig into how she developed her unique narrative instincts in this craft-intensive and yet incredibly intimate conversation.5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.A BONUS EPISODE, exclusive to 5AM StoryTalk’s bad-ass paid subscribers, is also available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/new-podcast-episode-q-and-a-directorIn it, Sophie discusses a seminal piece of art from his life – the iconic 1975 film THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/Get access to this podcast episode, the bonus episode, and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.Tip JarNot up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddonShow notes. Sophie and I discuss the following and much more:Her formative years in Adelaide, Australia – especially a theatre group – and why she returned to her hometown to live and work despite how isolating it can beThe importance of collaborative creation to her over individual expressionWhy she didn’t call herself a director for so longThe role of structural inventiveness in her films and the importance of narrative limitations/challenges in her work, with a special focus on' 52 Tuesdays' (which was shot over 52 consecutive Tuesdays with an ever-evolving script) and 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' (which essentially takes place in one location with only two characters)How she uses her cast to further develop scripts – such as how actors Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack helped shape their characters in 'Good Luck to You'How her work focuses on character exploration, bodies and intimacy, and the pursuit of self-defined freedom and identity – such as 'Animals'How she used her own family’s experience to craft her upcoming film 'Jimpa' – which stars Olivia Coleman, John Lithgow, and her child Aud Mason-HydeLinks:Learn more about Sophie and her work here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_HydeWatch the trailer for '52 Tuesdays' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1flKS0ReLwEWatch the trailer for 'Animals' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhus0cJkuz0&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tDWatch the trailer for 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJcbZoJFLTU&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tDListen to Sophie Hyde, Olivia Coleman, John Lithgow, and Aud Mason-Hyde discuss 'Jimpa' here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PRlPNpeOWwSupport target LGBTQ+ people in this time of global crisis, wherever you live. If you live in the US, you can support the civil rights of these targeted groups – and the civil rights of of all U.S. residents by donating to the ACLU here: https://www.aclu.org/Social Media:Follow Cole at…Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashereThreads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashereFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/colehaddonwashereEmail:
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