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MudboundscreeningandQ&A—livetweets,photosandvideo
On Wednesday 22 November our members gathered at Curzon Soho to attend a special screening of Mudbound, followed by a Q&A with Dee Rees, the director of the film.
The Q&A was moderated by Directors UK member Hugh Hudson, and the discussion ranged from the process of adaptation to what the film has to say about America today.
Catch up on our live tweets and photos from the event below.
Great interview in @TimeOutFilm this week with director Dee Rees, who we're thrilled to be hosting a Q&A with next week. https://t.co/07AP8Mv4Ln
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 17, 2017
There are still a small number of tickets available for the Mudbound screening and Q&A. Members can book here! https://t.co/nZBP8dQMdC pic.twitter.com/HxNS1vYViq
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 17, 2017
We’re at @CurzonSoho tonight for a screening of @mudboundmovie. Look out for live-tweets from our Q&A with director Dee Rees afterwards #Mudbound #DUKMud pic.twitter.com/Fdvn25Oy3h
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Wow, @mudboundmovie is such a moving, powerful film. Available to watch on @NetflixUK now #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
We’ll now be live-tweeting our Q&A with the film’s director Dee Rees. Moderated by fellow director Hugh Hudson #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee Rees is a director and writer. She has directed the following feature films: Eventual Salvation, Pariah, Bessie and now Mudbound. She has directed several short films, including Orange Bow and Colonial Gods. And she has also directed for television, including episodes of Empire, When We Rise and the 'Kill All Others' instalment of Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams.
Hugh Hudson is a director who has worked in film, documentaries and commercials.. He is best known for directing the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire. His other film work includes Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan Lord of the Apes, Revolution and My Life So Far. His most recent film was Altamira, released in 2016.
Hugh introduced Dee and praises the film for being so contemporary despite depicting America’s divided past #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee explains her approach to adapting Hillary Jordan’s original novel #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
The novel Mudbound was released in 2008, winning the Bellwether Prize for Fiction.
She had to focus on certain storylines but also inject her own personal history into it #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
The multiple voiceovers are key to the film’s approach #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
The ADR for most of those voiceovers were recorded on set and location with the characters still in costume #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Some were written later, during editing and postproduction - so Dee just asked the actors to record the new voiceovers on their phone & email them to her #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
This included Mary J. Blige while she was on tour.
It adds to the realness and authenticity that permeates the film #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee also drew from her grandmother’s journal to inform the thoughts and feelings of Mary J. Blige’s character #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Lilly May's desire to become a stenographer also came from this source.
Dee talks more about her grandmother's journal and the way she used it for Mudbound, in this interview with the LA Times.
Dee tells us about making her first film, Pariah. She’s an instinctual filmmaker - she doesn’t focus on the technical side #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Talking about casting, Dee explains that Mary J. Blige was perfect to portray Florence’s exterior calm but “raging internal life” #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Laura is almost two separate characters - and she could see Carey Mulligan as both a house wife and a farm wife #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Jason Mitchell has an old soul in a young body, which was perfect for the character of Ronsel #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee particularly singled out Jason Mitchell's performance in Straight Outta Compton.
Dee tells us that she had to train the white characters to say the n-word without pause - it had to be the same as any other word to them just as it was to the characters #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee: you could get a 2-hour movie out of any one of the different subplots in this film #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
So she enjoyed the challenge of fitting those plots together in a coherent story #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
The film is set in Mississippi, but they didn’t film there - they scouted there but couldn’t get the right location #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Instead it was filmed in Louisiana with a couple of days in Budapest for the war scenes #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee says that her working relationship with DoP Rachel Morrison was based on art - they discussed modern art and sculpture when deciding on the look they wanted #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Hugh asks whether Trump coming to power has helped or hindered the film #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Hugh asks whether Trump coming to power has helped or hindered the film #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee: it’s helped bring home how relevant these themes are #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
But racism has never gone away - we just didn’t talk about it for a while. Trump has emboldened people and brought it out into the open again #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
The film is especially relevant now though. Trump is basically Pappy #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee tells us how important to her it was to be able to hire women #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
All the senior roles on @mudboundmovie were filled by women #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Including the aforementioned Rachel Morrison (cinematographer), Mako Kamitsuna (editor), Tamar-Kali Brown (composer) and many of the producers and executive producers.
#Mudbound #DUKMud pic.twitter.com/iP15IHsC24
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee tells us that the message she wants the film to impart is the need to ask questions and discuss things #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Where does the land we own come from? Who worked it? How does that affect America today? #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
She thinks that part of the reason Trump was elected was because people weren’t able to have those conversions #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
People avoid difficult conversations with their own family about politics - but they shouldn’t #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Dee explains how great the relationship was with Netflix - they believed in it and supported her to make the film the way she wanted #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
And of course millions of people are going to get to see it because of their release model #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
Hugh ends by praising a “wonderful director and a wonderful film” #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
That’s a wrap! A big thank you to Dee Rees for joining us to talk about her film, and to Hugh Hudson for moderating #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
And run, don’t walk, to your nearest cinema, living room or laptop to watch @mudboundmovie on @NetflixUK #Mudbound #DUKMud
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) November 22, 2017
It really is as simple as that - fire up Netflix and you can watch the film right now!
And here are the thoughts of some of those in attendance:
@Directors_UK great screening of #mudbound #curzonsoho pic.twitter.com/ksYxZAYucN
— D Martin (@naddimartin) November 22, 2017
Go. And. See. Mudbound @mudboundmovie.
— Tolu Rachael Akisanya (@trakisanya) November 22, 2017
Dee Rees is magnificent. She must be protected at all costs.
That is all. pic.twitter.com/UZR3gk4lUu
😍😍😍😩😩😩 pic.twitter.com/2wMRMyVldn
— Tolu Rachael Akisanya (@trakisanya) November 22, 2017
.@Directors_UK live tweeted the Q&A with Dee Rees and Hugh Hudson earlier tonight. Check it out if you want a bit on insight into her working process, background, ideas etc around the film... or if you just want to be nosey 👀👀👀
— Tolu Rachael Akisanya (@trakisanya) November 22, 2017
Scroll down for photos from the event.
Watch a video of our Mudbound Q&A below.
Mudbound: Q&A with director Dee Rees