Hinterland: Harry Macqueen Q&A

16th February 2015

Hinterland is the debut feature by Harry Macqueen, which tells the story of an old friendship rekindled during a road trip around the English coast. BRWC spoke to Harry Macqueen about the film’s success so far and how he found his experience starring and directing in this beautifully shot debut.

Can you give me an overview of what this film is about?

On one level it’s a love story and another it is a road trip story of sorts. The film is set over one chilly February weekend and it is about two old friends escaping and going back in time on a trip of nostalgia. There is a focus on the unsaid in the context of two twenty-somethings who are both for different reasons looking for some sort of direction in their lives. On a deeper base note level it’s a film that I hope resonates with people my age, people who are growing up and in their twenties and are trying to ask questions about what they’re doing and why they’re here.

You mentioned the unsaid. How important was that for you in the film?

Hugely. I think we strove right at the start to make a film with as natural and organic a relationship as we possibly could. If you’re seeking the truth in a relationship or in life, it is important to focus on the things that aren’t said because more often than not, what is really at the heart of the matter isn’t what comes from your mouth; it’s how you’re saying them, it’s how you’re not saying them, it’s the pauses between the sentences, the body language. It’s the pursuit of the truth in the unsaid.

Did you get inspiration from your own life for this film?

I think everything that you make or write is in some way autobiographical. But the story itself isn’t an autobiography at all other than the literal journey they go on is one that I know well and have done many times in my life. I think this film is more about exploring what life is. That comes from loads of different sources really, probably some that I don’t even know about now. So it is partly my experience, partly other people’s experience.

What is interesting is this is your first full-length feature. How did you find it both starring in and directing in a film?

It was the most difficult thing I have done without a shadow of a doubt. I’d never even made a short film before; this is completely my debut in terms of writing in directing. I’ve had a lot of experience as an actor. It was definitely an exercise in wearing a lot of different hats and being aware that what I would have to do was focus much more on the stuff that I hadn’t done before, the directing, the producing side of it, and just rely on the fact that I thought I could pull it off as a performer. So being able to be totally committed and in the moment while the camera was rolling, but then to very quickly switch hats and go into director mode was majorly intense.

But it’s worked. You’ve had some amazing reviews so far. Hinterland been nominated for Best UK Feature at Raindance. Did you expect that?

It’s a difficult question to answer because having genuinely never done it before, I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew that it was a film that I absolutely adored so I think I would have been disappointed if it hadn’t gone that way. But I don’t think you can really expect such a great reaction on a first attempt so that was great.

I understand you inherited the money to make this film. Did it take long to get the ball rolling? Was best online casino it an immediate reaction?

No not at all. I’d inherited the money years before and just not done anything with it. To be honest I’d been acting on and off for around seven years and had been completely focused on that. And then, I suppose it came about because I was aware that I wanted to take back a bit of creative control over my career as well as being a full-time actor too. I really wanted to make something creative and important with the money, which would have hopefully made the person who gave it to me happy with the way I spent it.

So you mentioned your background was in acting; what other acting work have you been involved in before Hinterland?

I went to Central School of Speech and Drama in London and almost straight after graduating I got a small part in a Richard Linklater film called Me and Orson Welles so that was amazing, a complete whirlwind. Since then I’ve had a few little parts in Eastenders, loads of theatre and I’ve just done something for TV in America. So I’ve been in a lot of things. I still very much consider myself an actor.

Going back to the film, how was it working with Lori Campbell as Lola?

It was one of the most remarkable things about the whole film because I didn’t know Lori before at all and one of the main pieces of feedback has been people asking whether we were going out or mates beforehand. The reality is that we met by chance and I’d already written the film. The specifics of that character seemed like an impossible task. I happened to be living with my friend who knew Lori and when I described the character to her, she said that the character of Lola is a lot like Lori. Lori is not an actor, she’s a musician, so she brings a whole different performance. It was a big challenge for both of us, me as a director and her as an actor. We lived together beforehand so we could bond and we became really close friends. So it was a really remarkable and rewarding experience because we were finding out a lot about each other as people as well as learning about the characters. It was like a whole journey of vulnerable collaboration for all of us.

The actual film itself, it comes out on the 27^th of February.

Yes it comes out then and it’s having a multi-platform release so we come out at Curzon Soho for a week and it is going on demand on the Curzon channel on the same day, so I’m doing a Q&A on 27^th February. Then I go around the country doing a Q&A tour at one-off screenings. The film will then go out on a video online platform and maybe DVD.

Ideally what do you want the viewers to take away from this film when they see it?

What matters to me is that people care about the characters and engage with them on that level. I think it’s a film that either completely resonates with you and your experiences or it doesn’t at all. I can’t be the judge of whether it does or not but it’s a lovely little window into two people and a fragile friendship that might be a love. So as long as it resonates with people and they care about the characters then that for me means that we’ve done our job properly.

Are there any other aspects of the film that you would like to mention?

Well it would be good to mention that the film is carbon neutral, which is something I would like to get behind. So with the film we offset all of the carbon so it’s not got a carbon footprint, which I’m proud of. I don’t know how common this is; I’ve heard that we’re the first UK carbon neutral feature film. I think it’s something that is on people’s minds. When you’re doing a project this small, it’s not that difficult to do. I think if you can do it, why not? It feels like the right kind of project for that.

Lastly, do you have any upcoming projects that you are planning at the moment?

I am very much still in the middle of doing this project but I am writing another film and I have been writing a play for a few years so I am looking to finish that. I’m also trying to finish filming a comedy pilot that me and four other friends have written, directed and shot so we’re trying to get that off the ground for TV. And a bit of acting coming up so just trying to keep busy.

Hinterland is released in UK cinemas on 27th February 2015 with Soda Pictures.

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