***Join the Seventh Row newsletter to stay updated on myfrenchfilmfestival and other unique opportunities to watch under-the-radar films: http://email.seventh-row.com

Legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh has a new film out in cinemas called Hard Truths, which is one of the best films of the year.

What makes Mike Leigh's films so good and so uniquely Mike Leigh Films is inextricable from the process he uses to make them. But there are quite a few common myths and misconceptions about his process, including that his films are improvised and, confusingly, that his films are rehearsed.

In this episode, Alex debunks these myths using research for her 2018 book Peterloo in Process: A Mike Leigh Collaboration. The book dives deeper into Leigh's process through interviews with him and his collaborators on the film, both behind and in front of the camera.

You can purchase a copy of Peterloo in Process at http://mikeleighbook.com

Related Episodes

TIFF 2024 #4: British social realism: Mike Leigh's Hard Truths and Andrea Arnold's Bird

Ep. 119 Mike Leigh's Naked

Ep. 32 Sorry We Missed You and Peterloo

Ep. 11 Mike Leigh's Peterloo

-------

Stay updated on Seventh Row

Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com.

Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram.