Russell Tovey

is it 10 people each year or something?

They have a group of filmmakers that they kind of honor.

So at least you got that like after the fact, but, um, I felt that injustice actually almost made a film about it myself.

Um, um,

Nostalgia as a short film is such an interesting early foray for you into filmmaking in that way, because it's at its core again about art and about the intention that artists have when they make work.

And a bit like Sinead O'Connor, actually, how people can change the meaning of your work to suit their own cause or their own ideologies.

How did that whole nostalgia short film come about?

Oh, didn't we all?

And he was such a legend.

and he doesn't do any research he doesn't look into who these group of men are or really the city that he's going to and i guess it ends up fairly catastrophic to say it yeah so he ends up performing his hit single and it doesn't really get much of a response from the crowd and he's kind of confused and then he does his like b-side which suddenly everyone knows every single word to and it's like the b-side that at the time wasn't even that famous in the 80s

Absolutely, yes, they are paramilitaries.

It's just a tragic kind of end to the story.

It's like somebody thinks they're having their comeback moment of some kind or at least getting some respect.

And then you find out actually it's humanity at its darkest in a way.

How important is it for you to work, you know, going forwards now with other women?

So like she was a female writer, for example.

I know it doesn't always have to be that way, but is that something that's important to you?

I've heard you speak before a lot about the importance of kind of centering women's voices in the work that you do personally.

That's like a mission for you.

And even with Taking the Water, your documentary about the open water swimming, there's a real sense of healing, like A, through the making for you, but also almost offering people this idea of rest or taking care of yourself.