Sharon Maguire and Andy Peterson

Interview by Rada Djurica

At the screening of Incendiary at the 2008 Sarajevo Film Festival, female film director Sharon Maguire took time to talk about her film. Sharon Maguire and producer Andy Peterson spoke about Incendiary, their joint project. in a special festival program called "Coffee with…."

Bridget Jones's Diary was Sharon Maguire's first feature film, and between 1991 and 1993, Maguire worked as producer/director for the BBC's The Late Show. She then made several acclaimed documentaries, which include The Godfather, In At Number Ten, Picasso, Rumer Godden: An Indian Affair, H G Wells: Parts 1 & 2 for BBC Bookmark, and was nominated for a Royal TV Society Award; and Dame Henrietta's Dream: A Year In The Life Of Hampstead Garden Suburb for BBC Omnibus. Other projects in development for Maguire to direct include Mail with Film Four, The Vicious Circle with Oxford Films, and Mother's Boy, a project that she has been commissioned to write a script for BBC Films.

Incendiary is a strong and powerful tale about a woman who mourns her child. This message is so powerful it overshadows the other, sub-message of the film, which is an anti-terrorist appeal. The film was cleverly imagined, but since it was done far too quickly there are a couple of not very believable dialogue exchanges that spoil the general impression. Still, the little faults in this film are made up for by the high-class production and by the involvement of Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams.

Tell us something about your beginnings.

Sharon Maguire: My earlier career as a TV journalist helped me to understand the great power of the movies. At that time I decided to take a leap into the magical world of the art of film.

So what is Incendiary?

Sharon Maguire: This is a film that sends a message of hope which I sincerely hope still exists in every generation. That is why it was practically important to present the film in Sarajevo.

Andy Peterson: We have had expectations about presenting the film here in Sarajevo, because this is a city and country whose inhabitants have themselves felt the pain of the loss of a family member. For that reason, the idea of screening the film in Sarajevo was a little frightening.

Sharon Maguire: The book by Chris Cleave was sent to me in manuscript form, because I asked my agents if they had anything which was the opposite of romantic comedy. This was just because the romantic comedies I was being sent at the time weren't floating my boat. So they sent me the manuscript of Incendiary. I had to keep putting down, because I felt so disturbed by it. The main character, a young mother — played in the film by Michelle (Williams) — is writing a letter to Osama Bin Laden about her life in the East End of London. Her voice was funny and repulsive and compelling. She was an out-and-out sinner with an overwhelming love for her child. And that's essentially what the film's about: the love of a mother for her child.

My own son was nine months old when I read the manuscript of the novel. I think you always gain an extra layer of sensitivity to the cruelties of the world when you're a new mother, and the world, post-9/11, seemed insane. And it's still insane. Across the divides, over 100,000 mothers have lost their children since 9/11. The unofficial figure is 6 times that. The whole terrorist attack on London was very much a "what if" scenario when I first came to it. And I was already working on the screenplay when the 7/7 bombings happened in London. In fact the book was published on 7/7, so it lived up to its title. But as Chris Cleave, the author of the novel has said, if you're going to write about things that could happen, you shouldn't be too surprised when they do. The book and the script try to reflect this new and insane world in which we live, and that's what drew me to it.

But I guess it was the voice of the central character which told me this must be a film. She's an East End girl, very matter-of-fact. In her glorious naivete, she addresses herself directly to Osama bin Laden, trying to explain to him what her life is like, and I found that rather poignant. She's a sinner. That's what I loved about all the characters; they're all sinners, all reeling around, looking for something in their lives before this tragedy happens and forces them to re-think their lives.

The book and film are also set in my part of London — about a terrorist attack on our local football stadium, a fear I live with every time my boyfriend goes there with my son — and it's about a London I know. And in an indirect way, London and its history is what the film's about. London — like many other ancient cities — is built on the wreckage of itself. It's been flattened, been rotted by plague; 300 years ago it was razed to the ground by the Great Fire; even Hitler with his incendiaries couldn't finish it off.

After Bridget Jones's Diary, was it hard to do this?

Sharon Maguire: I wanted to do something completely different. The turn from comedy into thriller happened only after I have read the novel that inspired me to direct the film Incendiary. The topic of the book deals was immediately captivating. This is a story of a very strong woman finding her way through the pain over the loss of her child. The film gave me the opportunity to present a powerful and dramatic story of survival and the strength that we carry, with which we overcome life's everyday problems and tragedies. There are my own experiences in the film.

It is difficult to distinguish directing comedy and drama. I try not to distinguish. When I directed Bridge Jones's Diary, I tried to encourage the actors to look for the emotional truth of the situation — even when the comedy was broad, like "falling out of taxis" or "pulling on big panties" or the awkward moments of dating and having sex with your boss. I think it's best to try to look for the plausibility of a situation. Life is both comic and tragic, often at the same time. And I've been lucky enough with both.

While thinking about the actress who would play my leading role in Incendiary, the only thing I knew was that the actress would have to possess a mother's vulnerability. That is why I choose Michelle Williams, whose portrayal of a mother mourning the loss of her child is outstanding, emotional and realistic. I had seen Michelle Williams in Me Without You, a British independent film, and her accent was so good I thought she was a Brit! When I saw her in Brokeback Mountain, I thought how well this English actress had done… But to me the accent thing is secondary. Her understanding of the role is the main thing. I hoped I'd find someone who, like me, was a new mother, and Michelle had just had a little girl.

Do you have a particular method of working with actors on set or in rehearsal?

Sharon Maguire: I guess I like them to spend time out in the world, in the "world" of their character. Renee spent two weeks working "undercover" in publishers. And Michelle spent a lot of time in London hanging around the East End of the city, in pubs and cafes with other young mothers, absorbing the accent, the culture. She also spent a significant amount of time off-set with Sid, who plays her son in the movie.

The rest of the time is sitting and chatting with the actors over coffee and trying the lines. At these times, I hope the actors will feel free to experiment with stuff, with the lines, with how to stage scenes. I love it when they find something different. Obviously it doesn't always work out, but at least we discovered that beforehand.

If things need to become more physical in rehearsal, then they do. Hugh Grant and Colin Firth needed to experiment with the staging of their fight for that particular scene. So they got to their feet and tried different things out, while I sat back and tried to judge what was "funny" or "not so funny."

With Incendiary, we had very little time and money for a formal rehearsal, just three days in a room with lots of coffee. But I had spent time out with Michelle and Ewan and Matthew, chatting informally about their characters.

What kind of response did you expect and what have you received from the Sarajevo film audience?

Sharon Maguire: I was nervously expecting how the audience would react and accept the film. The viewers at the 14th Sarajevo Film Festival completely and very emotionally accepted the film and the topic it covers.

Andy Peterson: I knew it was very risky to portray the trauma of terrorist attacks in London, as was done in this film. And in a way, compare them to the horrors of everything that happened in Sarajevo.