Nanovic Institute Film Series
Leslee Udwin introduces her latest film and reflects on the British film industry.
Leslee Udwin, acclaimed producer of the
the industry right now are rigidly formulaic . . . They’re worried that the popular British comedy East is East (1999), audience won’t get it otherwise, but of gave the North American debut of her 2007 course, they will if they’re exposed to it. film Mrs. Ratcliffe’s Revolution before an Audiences long to see the unexpected in appreciative Notre Dame audience on April films, but exhibitors and distributors don’t 10, taking time to reflect on the state of the give them that since they believe that the British film industry. Leslee Udwin, Producer familiar genre stereotypes will yield the most Although Udwin started her career as a bums [behinds] on the most seats, and that’s producer of TV drama-documentaries, the best known what they’re most interested in.” being Who Bombed Birmingham (1990), she is more Udwin believes film industry distributors and exhibitors recently known for producing off-beat, mixed-genre films to be “out of touch” and is confident audiences will “get that don’t fit neatly under the conventional action, drama, it” when presented with unconventional cinema, citing or comedy rubrics. This approach has often put her at the success enjoyed recently by some of the British movie odds with the current block buster-focused film industry. theatres that have showcased British independent films. According to Udwin, “The British film industry has Banning the kind of big-budget film extravaganzas that become a satellite of America, and it tries to emulate currently monopolize European movie theatres is certainly its production values…The films popularized by 18
The Nanovic Institute for European Studies
