Dark River (with Clio Barnard and Andrew Kötting)

The arrival of a new film by Clio Barnard promises an in-depth and uncompromising study of character and place; Dark River, her new film set in the harsh and beautiful Yorkshire farming landscape, is no exception. The northern locale links to her previous films The Arbor and The Self Giant, as does the bleak and brutal tragedy of the human stories. However, this rural tale, based on the Rose Tremain novel Trespass, is somewhat of a departure from the urban working-class focus of those previous films. 

In this Q&A, presented in association with Cinecity, Clio talks about the film with long-time friend Andrew Kötting, touching on the development of the script from the book, the casting, her minimalist aesthetic, the P.J. Harvey soundtrack and the challenges of the rural locations.

Show notes

Clio Barnard interview in The Independent with Jacob Stolworthy

Arrow Film Dark River Press Release

Interview with Clio Barnard on The Selfish Giant

Dark River: Why British Films Have Gone Back To The Land - Nick Hasted in The Guardian

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