Screen Players is a new screening event and live podcast interview with a writer, director or star, exploring personal stories behind some of the most iconic films of all time.
The series is being launched by The Script Factory at a special screening of Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love at the Cinema in the Power Station, Battersea on Monday 7 October.
The film will be followed by a live podcast interview hosted by The Script Factory co-director, Charlotte Bogard Macleod, with British documentary filmmaker, Nick Broomfield.
They will be joined on stage by Bastille frontman, Dan Smith, who will perform new track Leonard & Marianne which was inspired by the movie, and features on the new album, “&” (Ampersand), a collection of story songs released on 25 October.
Broomfield’s documentary explores the painful love between the singer Leonard Cohen and his soulmate and Norwegian muse Marianne Ihlen.
Following the screening, Nick and Charlotte will chat in a live podcast interview about how his deeply personal and romantic film came about.
This is the first of a series of planned episodes where Charlotte explores the creative process with a range of screen legends from Simon Beaufoy on Slumdog Millionaire, and Rebecca Lenkiewicz on She Said to Kevin Macdonald on Touching the Void, Hossein Amini on Drive and Molly Manning Walker on How to Have Sex.
Guests will be asked to reveal insights into what initially inspired them, explaining how the project took shape, and going into the complexities of bringing the film to life on screen.
Charlotte and Dan are writing partners and also worked together on Still Avoiding Tomorrow, an immersive theatrical experience put together for the launch of Bastille’s third album, Doom Days.
Following their successful collaboration during lockdown, with Distraction Tactics Film Club, Charlotte decided to launch a podcast for fellow film geeks looking back at iconic films and why they have enduring appeal. Dan has composed the theme tune and will be contributing to some of the episodes throughout the series.
Commenting on why there is space for another film podcast and how this one differs, Charlotte said: “The world sure as hell doesn’t need another podcast. And yet here I am making one. So, I don’t want you to think of it as a podcast – more a way of sharing, in a kind of I-think-you’re-gonna-love this way, the creative processes behind some of most iconic films ever made.
“Anyone who loves film has probably had the fantasy of being on set and seeing how things come together behind the scenes.
“How are great screenplays written? What is it like to put a project together, line by line, scene by scene? How do producers, directors and actors approach a project? What are they looking for? And what makes a great film? One that speaks to the times and yet still resonates with audiences for years to come.
“Screen Players is all about celebrating film, giving audiences behind- the-scenes insights and never-before-heard anecdotes into how great movies are made.”
Tickets for Monday’s screening are available here, and the next screening event is with Academy Award winning director Simon Beaufoy showing, and then talking about Slumdog Millionaire on 25 November, at The Cinema in the Power Station.
Confirmed future fortnightly episodes, interviewees and topics:
- Nick Broomfield & Bastille frontman on Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love
- Simon Beaufoy on Slumdog Millionaire
- John Madden on Shakespeare in Love
- Rebecca Lenkiewicz on She Said
- Kevin Macdonald on Touching the Void
- Hossein Amini on Drive
- Sam Mendes on 1917
- George MacKay on Ned Kelly
- Jon Ronson on Okja
- Tom Tykwer on Run Lola Run
- Molly Manning Walker on How to Have Sex
The Screen Players podcast will be available from 28 October on all major podcast platforms.
