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Front Row: Florian Zeller on The Father; Jeffrey Boakye; Ita O'Brien

07/06/2021

Florian Zeller on The Father; Jeffrey Boakye; Ita O'Brien

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Florian Zeller on The Father; Jeffrey Boakye; Ita O'Brien

Florian Zeller on his film The Father starring Anthony Hopkins.

Florian Zeller on The Father starring Anthony Hopkins; Jeffrey Boakye on A Musical History of Black Britain, and Ita O'Brien, intimacy co-ordinator for film and TV.

Florian Zeller’s play The Father was hailed as a masterpiece. Zeller made his debut as a director with his film of it, and Sir Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his performance as the patriarch sliding into dementia. Zeller tells Kirsty Lang how he was determined to make a film, rather a film version of a play, and how he makes the audience experience the disorientation of a man as his mind crumbles. 

The author and teacher Jeffrey Boakye has made a playlist with a difference – it’s A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs - but if that title runs too long for you, he talks to Kirsty about why he’s called his new book Musical Truth.  

And three years ago Ita O’Brien joined us on Front Row to talk about how intimacy co-ordinators were beginning to be used in film and television to ensure the comfort and wellbeing of actors during the shooting of sex scenes. Last night, Michaela Coel dedicated her Bafta win for I May Destroy You to Ita, who joins us now to talk about how the landscape has changed since she was last spoke on Front Row, and what progress has been made. 

Presenter: Kirsty Lang
Producer: Julian May
Studio Manager: Giles Aspen

Main image: Sir Anthony Hopkins in Florian Zeller's film The Father
Image credit: courtesy Lionsgate Films

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