Interview: Anand Tucker

British director Anand Tucker has explored the depths of mental illness with his acclaimed 1998 film, Hilary and Jackie. He then moved his lens to a lonely sales girl and her relationships in Shopgirl, based on Steve Martin's novel. His latest feature, When Did You Last See Your Father?, takes an unsentimental look at the complicated relationship between a father and son. Adapted from Blake Morrison's novel and starring Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth, When Did You Last See Your Father? delves into the death of a parent and coming to terms with an imperfect relationship. Tucker, who was born in Bangkok, Thailand to an Indian father and German mother, grew up in Hong Kong. But he has called the United Kingdom home for more than 25 years now. The 45-year-old director says he loves working on independent British films but is also eager to work on major Hollywood productions—despite the recent disappointment of working on New Line Cinema's The Golden Compass only to leave it a few months before filming began over "creative differences." Undeterred, he is now hoping to put together a film version of another fantasy series, the Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix.

What attracted you to Blake Morrison’s novel?

I was given the script by (producers) Stephen Woolley and Liz Carlson. It made me cry and that doesn’t happen very often. I had heard of the book but I had not read it. When I finally did read it, it made me cry too. It touched all my buttons. I am the father of a four year old. Real life is awkward and complicated and it doesn’t give you everything you want. But it does give you some things.

After coming off The Golden Compass, a huge production with so many problems, was it a relief to move into an intimate English film?

It was lovely to just go forward. We went straight away to Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth. They were our first choices and they said yes immediately. We started filming three months later. That has never happened to me in my career ever. [Leaving The Golden Compass] was heartbreaking. But hey, that is the movie business. If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen. I really had a brilliant time shooting When Did You Last See Your Father?. Financing wasn’t easy. When you are trying to make an independent movie together you throw everything you can at it. But in the end, it’s all about the casting. Once we had Colin and Jim we had a movie we could go out and set up.

Is there a common thread that ties your films together?

There is something about true life and the way ordinary people struggle against all the universal things we struggle against. In this film I wanted to tell a journey that feels truthful and that feels important to the human condition. It’s about how you find people that you have loved when maybe it’s too late. What I loved about the book is that there wasn’t a scene where the father and son hug each other and say ‘everything is ok, I love you.’ You have a terrific cast.

How was it working with Jim Broadbent?

I love watching great actors do their thing. You don’t direct Jim Broadbent—he is a force of nature. I had the privilege of watching Jim Broadbent perform. In real life, he is actually incredibly shy and self effacing and spends all of his time doing the crossword. When his scene is ready, he will put his newspaper down, and then he will shoot and it just takes over and it is incredible. He makes big, hairy grips cry.

You are intimately familiar with the life of an indie filmmaker and having projects fall apart at the last minute. What advice would you give aspiring indie producers and directors?

I learned lessons—like bridging the gap between working in indie film and working in Hollywood. They are two very different things. But you kind of have to do it. You have to be bloody tenacious and then buy [real estate] properties to live off of. On the indie end it’s very hard. You have to follow your heart. Making a movie takes such a big chunk out of your life, and it doesn’t always work and it leaves you in worse state. The joy is if you get to do the stuff and play in the big playground.

What is your next project?

Garth Nix’s the Abhorsen Trilogy of books. They are most extraordinary books I have read since The Golden Compass. They are worth spending the next four or five years of my life away from my family to bring them to the screen. We are working with Danny Futterman, who wrote Capote and with Plan B, Brad Pitt’s production company. We are all over town busy trying to set the movie up. There has been a lot of talking and conceptualizing. The trilogy is a dark fantasy about death, life and big issues with a fantastic heroine at the heart of it.