Mike Leigh at the Garden Cinema discussing the open-ended nature of his films and the reception to his award-winning film Naked (1993) at the New York Film Festival.

Recorded at The Garden Cinema, London on 19 September 2022 as part of Mike Leigh in Conversation: a series of retrospective screenings of Leigh’s films, each followed by a discussion and Q&A with Mike Leigh and Gary Yershon. 8th September – 30th October, 2022

We chatted with French director Cécile Ducrocq about her first feature film Her Way. We talked about her successful short film Back Alley that served as inspiration for this feature, her longstanding working relationship with actress Laure Calamy (Call My Agent), the conflicting feminist views over prostitution and the film’s focus on the mother-son relationship.

Mike Leigh discusses his battle to maintain final cut on his Palme d’Or winning film Secrets & Lies (1996) against the wishes of the French funders.

Recorded at The Garden Cinema on 13 September 2022 as part of Mike Leigh in Conversation: our ongoing series of retrospective screenings of Leigh’s films, each followed by a discussion and Q&A with Mike Leigh and Gary Yershon.