Wash Westmoreland – Earthquake Bird #LFF2019

October 24, 2019

Wash Westmoreland - Earthquake Bird #LFF2019 fredfilmradio

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PODCAST | Sarah Bradbury interviews Wash Westmoreland, director of the film Earthquake Bird.

British director Wash Westmoreland spoke to us from the BFI London Film Festival premiere of Earthquake Bird about his 1989 Japan-set thriller. He explained why he was inspired to adapt Susanna Jones’ novel, how lucky he was to cast an actress like Alicia Vikander who could play the cello and learn Japanese for the central role and the excitement of putting a female character at the centre of a genre traditionally dominated by men.

Earthquake Bird: Lucy (Vikander) is a buttoned-up, MUJI-clad translator who has been in Japan for five years and is desperate to blend in. Her reticent nature hides old scars. There’s also the fact that people around her keep dying – accidentally or otherwise. After a street encounter with hot photographer Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi), she quickly finds herself under his spell, despite all the warning signs. And the pot is stirred further when American nurse Lily (Riley Keough) – all blowsy sexual confidence and cultural naïvety – arrives in town and Lucy experiences some frightening impulses. Wash Westmoreland (Colette) has crafted a moody and intriguing update on 1980s psycho-sexual thrillers, shifting the emphasis onto the psychology of the female protagonist. Alicia Vikander is astonishing in a role that explores cultural fascination, belonging and obsession.

To discover more about the film, click here.

Written by: fredfilmradio

Earthquake Bird london bfi Sarah Bradbury Wash Westmoreland

Guest

Sarah Bradbury Wash Westmoreland

Film

Earthquake Bird

Festival

BFI London Film Fest

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