Features and reviews

Discover the latest from the BFI, the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image.

Interviews

“Nothing is a slam dunk anymore”: Steven Soderbergh on Black Bag

Steven Soderbergh’s smart, fun spy thriller Black Bag is the kind of mid-budget, star-led adult entertainment that has become an endangered species in cinemas. Here the director explains why the box office is so hard to predict these days, why he has always been fascinated by duplicity and how he built his career filming “two people in a room”.

By Philip Concannon

“Nothing is a slam dunk anymore”: Steven Soderbergh on Black Bag

Interviews

Close encounters in the Atlas mountains: Sofia Alaoui on her haunting debut Animalia

By Elhum Shakerifar

Close encounters in the Atlas mountains: Sofia Alaoui on her haunting debut Animalia

Interviews

James L. Brooks on his return to directing: “The word ‘content’ is not my favourite”

By Leigh Singer

James L. Brooks on his return to directing: “The word ‘content’ is not my favourite”

Interviews

Into the lion’s den: Wes Anderson on The Phoenician Scheme

By Arjun Sajip

Into the lion’s den: Wes Anderson on The Phoenician Scheme

Interviews

“With the camera, I feel very close to people”: Claire Simon on Writing Life: Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students

By Rachel Pronger

“With the camera, I feel very close to people”: Claire Simon on Writing Life: Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students

Interviews

Noah Baumbach on his portrait of a movie star, Jay Kelly: “It’s part of the culture in America that no-one ages”

By Rory Doherty

Noah Baumbach on his portrait of a movie star, Jay Kelly: “It’s part of the culture in America that no-one ages”

Interviews

Stephen King in conversation with Edgar Wright: “When I wrote The Running Man, 2025 seemed so far in the future that I couldn’t even grasp it in my mind”

By James Mottram

Stephen King in conversation with Edgar Wright: “When I wrote The Running Man, 2025 seemed so far in the future that I couldn’t even grasp it in my mind”

Interviews

Jennifer Lawrence on Die My Love: “I found the ferocity and the wildness so exciting”

By Lou Thomas

Jennifer Lawrence on Die My Love: “I found the ferocity and the wildness so exciting”

Interviews

Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac on Frankenstein: “Guillermo has dedicated his entire being to cinema and to dreams”

By Lou Thomas

Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac on Frankenstein: “Guillermo has dedicated his entire being to cinema and to dreams”

Interviews

Richard Linklater: “I was really afraid for my mom to watch Boyhood” – LFF Screen Talk

By Josh Slater-Williams

Richard Linklater: “I was really afraid for my mom to watch Boyhood” – LFF Screen Talk

Interviews

“The sexiness of queerness is that there’s no fixed role”: Julia Jackman on 100 Nights of Hero

By Blake Simons

“The sexiness of queerness is that there’s no fixed role”: Julia Jackman on 100 Nights of Hero

Interviews

Daniel Day-Lewis: “The process needs to be a joyful thing” – LFF Screen Talk

By Ibrahim Azam

Daniel Day-Lewis: “The process needs to be a joyful thing” – LFF Screen Talk

Interviews

“We get to dive into humanity’s difficulties like weird soul explorers”: Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield on After the Hunt

By Lou Thomas

“We get to dive into humanity’s difficulties like weird soul explorers”: Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield on After the Hunt

Interviews

“It’s not so easy as heroes and villains. I’m more interested in grey areas”: Derek Cianfrance on Roofman

By Hope Rangaswami

“It’s not so easy as heroes and villains. I’m more interested in grey areas”: Derek Cianfrance on Roofman

Interviews

“Grief is more complex than an art project”: Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama on Têtes brûlées

By Georgia Korossi

“Grief is more complex than an art project”: Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama on Têtes brûlées

Interviews

Yorgos Lanthimos, the unsettler in chief: an audience with the director of Poor Things and Bugonia

By Ibrahim Azam

Yorgos Lanthimos, the unsettler in chief: an audience with the director of Poor Things and Bugonia

Interviews

Chloé Zhao on intuition, instinct and Hamnet: “Directing is not intellectual” – LFF Screen Talk

By Baneet Sarai

Chloé Zhao on intuition, instinct and Hamnet: “Directing is not intellectual” – LFF Screen Talk

Interviews

“If you can’t handle disorienting moments, maybe you shouldn’t be watching movies”: Sophy Romvari on Locarno prize-winner Blue Heron

By Josh Slater-Williams

“If you can’t handle disorienting moments, maybe you shouldn’t be watching movies”: Sophy Romvari on Locarno prize-winner Blue Heron

From the Sight and Sound archive

“It was dance as action rather than as aesthetics”: Stephen Daldry on Billy Elliot

By Edward Lawrenson

“It was dance as action rather than as aesthetics”: Stephen Daldry on Billy Elliot

Interviews

Warren Ellis on his best soundtracks: “Quite often, looking at the image is the least important thing”

By Leigh Singer

Warren Ellis on his best soundtracks: “Quite often, looking at the image is the least important thing”

Interviews

Nadia Falls on Brides: “It’s about those ride-or-die best friends that you have as a teenager”

By Lou Thomas

Nadia Falls on Brides: “It’s about those ride-or-die best friends that you have as a teenager”

Interviews

“There was a lot of naivety and youthful exuberance”: Usman Riaz on creating The Glassworker, Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated feature

By Nick Bradshaw

“There was a lot of naivety and youthful exuberance”: Usman Riaz on creating The Glassworker, Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated feature

Interviews

“I don’t want passive viewing”: how The Shadow Scholars goes inside the academic cheating industry

By Elhum Shakerifar

“I don’t want passive viewing”: how The Shadow Scholars goes inside the academic cheating industry

Interviews

Max Porter on Steve: “I want my kids to see this movie and say: “We understand Dad a bit now””

By Katie McCabe

Max Porter on Steve: “I want my kids to see this movie and say: “We understand Dad a bit now””

Interviews

“I have very little interest in the lighter side of storytelling”: Cillian Murphy on his new film, Steve, and his career so far

By Katie McCabe

“I have very little interest in the lighter side of storytelling”: Cillian Murphy on his new film, Steve, and his career so far

Interviews

Sam Riley on Islands, acting without words and the shadow of playing Ian Curtis

By Jamie Dunn

Sam Riley on Islands, acting without words and the shadow of playing Ian Curtis

Interviews

“Growing up as a girl, you learn to please to be accepted”: Urška Djukić on Little Trouble Girls

By Carmen Gray

“Growing up as a girl, you learn to please to be accepted”: Urška Djukić on Little Trouble Girls

Interviews

“Stephen King’s work comes from a very wise understanding of the experience of being alive”: Tom Hiddleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor on The Life of Chuck

By Lou Thomas

“Stephen King’s work comes from a very wise understanding of the experience of being alive”: Tom Hiddleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor on The Life of Chuck

Interviews

“Fellini was adorable to hang out with”: Terence Stamp remembers it all

By Sam Wigley

“Fellini was adorable to hang out with”: Terence Stamp remembers it all

Festivals

Embrace the chaos: festival director Paul Ridd on the 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival

By Jamie Dunn

Embrace the chaos: festival director Paul Ridd on the 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival