UK journalist turned film-maker Candida Brady’s first feature documentary Trashed follows Jeremy Irons on a world tour as he discovers issues surrounding waste. The film screened out of competition in Cannes.

Was it a surprise to be selected for Cannes?

I’m still recovering from the shock. I’m very honoured.

Any films you’d like to see here?

Do I have to choose? If you twisted my arm After The Battle and of course The Angels’ Share are on my list; Kes is one of my all-time favourite films.

How did the film come about?

Many issues prompted me into making this film — generally I became more and more concerned about all the stuff we were throwing away after five minutes and wondering what was happening to it all.

Where did your interest in rubbish come from?

It’s not so much an interest in rubbish as more of a concern about waste and it came from.spending time with my grandparents who made the most
out of everything they had, and a father who’ s a card-carrying environmentalist. I’ve ridden the same bike since I was a teenager, I’ve always shopped in charity
shops and I’m addicted to ebay.

How did you make the transition from journalism to film-making?

I had an idea, sold my flat and spent the money making a TV pilot… as you do.

What did Jeremy Irons bring to the project?

His own passion for the subject of waste, his integrity and tremendous courage and a genuine concern for the many problems faced by humanity.

Do you think it’s still tough to be a woman film-maker, or do you think too much is made of the gender divide?

I think it’s tough being a film-maker regardless of sex. I found it much harder being a female journalist. When I started I was always being asked to make the tea.

Why do you think docs are getting bigger at the box office these days?

Perhaps because they are giving us access to much-needed information, which in turn can empower us and help us to take action. A documentary is still a
film — it’s just about real people and real stories.

What are you working on next?

We have a ballet film about Anna Pavlova and Dame Ninette de Valois and I am also working on a new idea for a documentary feature and a fictional idea.

 

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