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Peter Cadwell. From Shakespeare to Dostoevsky

Great Britain or «Foggy Albion», as they like to poetically call this state in Russia, left the world a great cultural heritage. Indeed, this small island state not only once had huge colonies around the globe and exerted widespread political influence, but also manifested masterpieces of world art that evoke a variety of feelings — from sublime awe to pride and respect. English Theatre and cinema have presented the world with a large number of talented playwrights, directors, and actors. What has changed in English art, in particular cinema and Theatre, now, in the era of the global pandemic? Is there a connection between English and Russian Theatre? Who is stronger in terms of influence — Shakespeare or Dostoevsky? We asked actor, screenwriter and film producer Peter Cadwell about this and much more.

THEATRE — CHURCH AND SALVATION

— You are a theatre actor, but you have gone to the cinema. Why?

— First off, thank you for the interview, Julia, it’s great to connect with you in Russia.

I love theatre; it was my church, my salvation for a long time — theatre saved me when I was growing up, but as I was working in the UK theatre industry, I felt myself move away from it.

During my theatre career, beyond working for other theatre companies, I created my own theatre.

My theatre work was successful, for example, my play ‘The Fighter’ received ‘One of the Five Best Plays in London’ from top London theatre critics. It was a play that I wrote, acted, produced and directed, and later adapted to become a feature film ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ (https://www.fightersballad.com/).

Peter Cadwell as the «Fighter» in his play «The Fighter’s Ballad».

I was competing with the biggest theatres in London doing independent work, but the big theatres had more money and marketing behind them, so it’s hard to continually compete with this, if you don’t have that machine behind you. There isn’t much money for theatre in the UK and of course, theatre doesn’t make much money, especially if you’re making independent theatre, so it can be wearing on the soul. Most British theatre is grant-funded and subsidised, but the funds aren’t limitless. Peter Brook, who is one of Britain’s greatest theatre practitioners, one of the world’s greatest theatre practitioners, ended up moving to France and creating theatre there, which I think says a lot.

As for why I moved to the cinema; it was a natural progression as a storyteller. I adore cinema, it’s been another great passion in my life. With cinema, you have the potential to reach more people with your work, your stories. I love the live experience of theatre; it’s a moment in time. But I also love that film can last for an eternity.


— Was your leaving theatre related to a pandemic or did you leave earlier?

— I left theatre earlier, quite a few years ago now. I worked in several regional theatres across the UK, with various touring theatre productions and in varying styles of theatre, classical and contemporary. But the main regional theatre I worked in was the Bristol Old Vic, which was very influential and formative in my theatre career.

Peter Cadwell at the Bristol Old Vic, playing «Don Juan», in the play «The Last Days of Don Juan» by British playwright Nick Dear.

The Theatre Royal, within the Bristol Old Vic, is the oldest continually operating theatre in the English-speaking world. It was built between 1764 and 1766, so it has a deep theatrical history. Also, great British actors of note, who trained at the Bristol Old Vic theatre school were Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite, both of whom were a huge inspiration on my work as an actor.

— What is happening now in English theatre, in particular the theatre in Bristol (I mean the era of the pandemic)? What changes are taking place there? Do you keep in touch with any of your theatre colleagues?

Sadly, theatre is going through a tough time here now in the UK, due to the pandemic, with many theatres temporarily closing and theatre companies not being able to survive. But it will survive and there are wonderful people out there, working extremely hard for theatre. Of course, money was always a problem to keep theatres going and the pandemic has only heightened this problem.

As for the Bristol Old Vic theatre, I haven’t been back there for a while, but as I understand, they are managing to keep going and have been able to offer socially distanced shows until next year. As for keeping in touch with my old theatre contacts, I keep in touch with some, but a lot of my older contacts have moved on too and evolved in their creative work.

I think I will go back to the theatre one day; it’s just got to be the right time, with the right project, with the right people. I still profoundly love theatre and the live shared experience. Ultimately, I think theatre is the actor’s medium, the pure form, rather than film and TV predominantly being the directors and producers medium. And long may theatre live.

— How did you become an actor at all? Are you from a creative family?

— I come from humble, tough beginnings, so no, I didn’t come from a creative family as such. That’s not to say my mother and father aren’t creative in their own ways, I just didn’t have a creative upbringing.

My parents were working-class, my mother is from Cornwall in the UK, and my father is from an Irish East London family in the UK. My mother worked as a mental health worker and my father was in the armed forces and then worked in construction. I spent most of my childhood growing up in a poor community in Cornwall and some time with my father in London. It was extremely hard at times, but I still have beautiful memories of a British life, which doesn’t much exist anymore.

My upbringing led me to be very violent in my youth. The idea of following in my father’s footsteps and joining the armed forces was not an option for me, as I had too much passion and anger in me. On reflection now, I think the military would have been a good thing for me.

When I was younger, my therapy was to channel my emotions through my sporting life (boxing) and my creativity (acting), which become my great passion. So, this is what my creativity was born from.

Peter Cadwell as the «Boxer» in the short film «Round 13».

I left Cornwall when I was young to become an actor. I moved to Bristol, throwing myself into the powerful art scene there, and spending three years at the Bristol Old Vic, acting professionally for the ‘Bristol Old Vic Company’. After the Bristol Old Vic, I moved to London, continuing my development and training as an actor at the prestigious ‘Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’. Central has trained many great British actors, including Sir Laurence Olivier and Dame Judi Dench.

After leaving Central, I mostly worked in theatres across London, in various venues. I also did some work at the London National Theatre Studio and the London Young Vic Studio, workshopping some of my new writing in their development theatre departments. I also worked in various short films as an actor.

After living for many years in London, I’m now based back in my mother’s homeland of Cornwall.

— You starred in the TV series ‘Ashes to Ashes’, which went to Russia. But now you are working on your projects as an actor, screenwriter, director and producer. Can you tell us about them?

— Working on ‘Ashes to Ashes’ was a fun experience. Though British TV is the area I’ve worked in least as an actor. It’s fantastic ‘Ashes to Ashes’ travelled to Russia.

Yes, currently as an actor, screenwriter, director and producer, I’ve been developing a small slate of feature film projects. I have one feature film called ‘The Stolen Sun’ that is in the final development stage and a few other feature film ideas that are in the early development stage. The projects are a mixture of classical, historical stories and contemporary ones.


T
HE FIGHTER’S BALLAD

— ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ Feature Film, where you played the role of the film’s screenwriter and leading actor, has received and continues to receive awards at various independent festivals. Unfortunately, there is no Russian translation of the film yet. I watched it in English. Awesome movie. In terms of psychological impact, it reminded me of the works of Dostoevsky… the dialogue between the two characters keeps all 1.5 hours in suspense. This is more like a theatrical performance in its monolithic character. And, of course, your theatrical experience is immediately noticeable here. It seems to me that the film ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ will be very well understood in Russia.

— Thank you for watching ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ Julia and responding to the film so positively. It’s wonderful you understand the English language so well. I’d love to speak more languages; I’d love to try and speak Russian! I feel embarrassed I don’t, I think we can be lazy here in the UK about learning other languages. It’s a UK weakness I feel.

Yes, ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ has done well critically and artistically, and is still getting positive responses globally which I’m incredibly grateful for, but there have been challenges with the business side of the film and its distribution.

‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ is a humble feature film drama. It was adapted from my stage play ‘The Fighter’ so it’s stylistic and poetic in parts. Yes, as you say Julia, it’s very much like a theatrical experience in parts and then has moments which are more conventionally cinematic.

Rather than the film being UK social realism, the writing and performance style is more heightened, deeper naturalism. Yes, works by Dostoevsky would be a wonderful example, with regards to the psychological and philosophical themes of the film. Also, the works of British playwright Harold Pinter, in the film’s underlying darkness.

My acting style in the film was inspired by Marlon Brando, Daniel Day-Lewis and the classic film acting movement of the Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski.

Peter Cadwell as the «Fighter» in the film «The Fighter’s Ballad».

‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ has universal themes of mental health, faith, religion, loss, and grief. It has been very well received globally which I’m deeply humbled by. In some respects, in our current global climate, I feel it represents aspects of humanity’s broken soul even more now, than when we made the film.

I would love ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ to reach more people in Russia, it would be an honour. Russian and Eastern European theatre and film were a huge influence on my work and ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ was partly born out of this.

Beyond all the fantastic responses the film has had, still the most challenging aspect has been the film’s distribution. Either in finding good international distributors that understand the film and know how to market it properly. Or, securing further investors who can bring finance, so I can properly represent the film out there in the global film marketplace. Sadly, finding further distribution finance is connected to paying for the film to be translated or to have subtitles for different countries, such as Russia.

One of the major challenges I have is around an illegitimate contract that the film’s director entered into with an American distributor, effectively with them trying to steal the film from me and infringing on my copyright. It’s an ongoing challenge, but I need to raise more finance to sort this legally.

— Are you a fan of Dostoevsky?

— Yes. Dostoevsky — his stories, profound depth, writing had a significant impact on me, particularly when I was working in theatre and studying the classics. In my theatre training, I worked on plays by Russian playwrights, such as Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky.

I have always been heavily inspired by international theatre: Russian, Greek, Polish, Spanish, French, Scandinavian. The wonderful theatre that comes from these countries, could be incredibly powerful and I found it connected more powerfully with me than British theatre. Of course, Shakespeare dominates here, which is understandable, since his works are among the greatest works of our classical theatre. I love Shakespeare, but I still look to international theatre for that emotional depth.

— How did the script of ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ film come about? Is this your story? It seems to me that any writer always has a personal theme in his work — explicitly or hidden. Is it the same for you?

— Yes, you’re right Julia, there are my personal themes within the work, partly explicit and partly hidden. My upbringing and my life experiences were a driving force behind the script. The play and subsequently the film, also touch on social, spiritual, psychological issues that directly relate to moral values in our modern culture.

When I wrote the script, it was the kind of story I wanted to tell at the time, in the kind of style I wanted to express. Aside from simply wanting to tell a good story and connect with audiences, I wanted the film to create discussion and debate, to ask questions about life and challenge the human condition.

At the time of writing the script, I was working as a youth counsellor, helping poor and criminalised youth get through their life, by speaking of my own troubled experiences growing up, as well as them sharing their own challenging experiences. I also did a bit of work in the field of mental health and psychology in a small capacity, thanks to my mother’s work.

— For whom did you write your script? Did you immediately see yourself as ‘The Fighter’ character? Or did you see yourself in the role of ‘The Priest’ character too?

I wrote the film for me and for the audiences I wanted to share the film with. When writing the script, I was both ‘The Fighter’ and ‘The Priest’ in my mind, I have both characters in me. As an actor, I always knew I’d be playing ‘The Fighter’.

Clive Russell as the «Priest» and Peter Cadwell as the «Fighter» in the film «The Fighter’s Ballad».

— What audience is the film intended for? Or have you not thought about who you are writing for?

— When writing the script, I was just writing from my soul. As for an audience, I think it could be for anyone. Although it has key themes which may appeal to people with an interest in spirituality, religion, theology, psychology, or mental health.

From a marketing perspective, the film is an intense, rich indie drama, so won’t appeal to audiences who want a ‘big popcorn movie’. But the film is simply a human drama, so I think that’s universal.

— What thought did you put into the script?

I put a great deal of thought into it, a lot of time and energy. I spoke to many priests in the UK, throughout the process of writing, firstly the stage play and then in the process of adapting it to a film script.

— Do you agree with the director’s vision? Or would you have filmed it differently?

— I think for the level of filmmaker I was at the time, and with it being my first feature film as an actor, screenwriter and producer combined, I’m happy with the director’s work and our combined vision on a creative level. There are a couple of things I would improve, but that’s with hindsight. Overall, I’m pleased with the finished film.

Of course, I would have liked to have had a larger budget and bigger production value behind the film to have pushed the vision further, but it was my first feature film. It’s been received very well artistically, so I’m happy with that. There are a few things I want to tweak in the edit before I distribute in the future, but I need further tools for this.

Peter Cadwell as the «Fighter» and Clive Russell as the «Priest» in the film «The Fighter’s Ballad».

— Onto deeper issues within ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’… like your character ‘The Fighter’ in the film, are you also afraid of death?

— Yes, I’m afraid of death. I’m human, I’m afraid of many things. But I think it’s how we embrace our fears and try to harness them, that defines us. One of my greatest fears, more than my own death is losing those I love in my life. Of course, as you touch on Julia, this is a huge theme in the film. And this is a huge theme in life, as we as humans grieve for those we love and have lost. I think, even those of us with the strongest of beliefs, are afraid to some degree; we all have fears.

Take brave servicemen and women, who put their life on the line. For example, soldiers, who are putting their life in the most dangerous situations, where their life is more at risk than anyone. These soldiers are afraid, and conquering their fear is a big obstacle and a big part of their training. That being said, so many people live their own brave lives, facing their fears every day. So, I think we all have fear. Fear is natural, fear is human.

— ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ asks many deep questions about life, death, faith and God… what are your thoughts on life? Do you believe in God? What is your attitude to religion?

— Yes, I have faith, but it does waver. I was brought up with Christianity through my grandparents who were Methodist and Catholic. My faith is very personal to me; I don’t talk about it a lot and over the years, life has tested my faith a great deal. I think my faith is still evolving within me.

As for religion and my attitude towards organised religion, well that’s a big conversation! I think the core of all religions, is and should be love, the love of fellow man. But even here in the UK, within the church, there are various opinions on how we should worship God. So, I tend to stay away from this conversation and be alone with my faith. Humble, not wanting to impose what faith I have on anyone.

Today, Great Britain has become a more secular country in which spiritual matters are less important. We are still a strongly religious country in many ways, but in the past Great Britain was more spiritual, with a Christian faith at its heart. I often think, what do we stand for here in the UK these days? I address this somewhat in ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’, and of course, I wrote, starred in and produced a film that takes place in a church, where faith and life, are major themes.

Over the years, I’ve had a few people say I should express my opinions more, but I just want to live a simple life. I don’t want to be in constant conflict, as I understand conflict very well, through the life experiences I’ve had. And to be honest, what do I really know. Truthfully, from my heart, I’m just a man still trying to work out this world of ours, as best I can. Hopefully, my work, and the questions in my work, will help other people think more. In my life, I have been a ‘Fighter’ and a ‘Priest’; and that battle can still rage within me. I think that battle can still rage within many of us.

Like so many of us, I’ve had very dark periods in my life and at times, I’ve lived an extremely dangerous life, pushing myself to many limits. This was reckless living, as I didn’t care about myself or life. But now, being older, maybe a little wiser and being a father, life has become more precious to me. I have had many wars within myself, with the world outside, and through all the pain, the conclusion I come to is life is everything. And if there is a fight to be had in this world, it’s to fight for life and light. For me, this is the truth.

Beyond this, I have strong feelings regarding the class divide in this world, the inequality I see and experience. Then there is the destruction of our environment, and how we need to protect our natural world. For me, the natural world is life, as without it, we will all die.

Peter Cadwell as the «Fighter» in the film «The Fighter’s Ballad».

— Do you think a sad ending in a movie or book is a good thing? (I mean when all is well, but the hero dies). And why aren’t people very fond of stories with sad endings? After all, a good, but tragic end brings us closer to reality than a sweet happy end. It makes you think about something more sublime and serious. Just like music written in a minor key always sounds more beautiful than music in a major key. What do you think about that?

— Regarding a sad ending or a happy ending, I think both are very valid in storytelling. I think it depends on what you want to say with your story and how you want to leave your audience — how you want them to feel.

Personally, for me as an audience member and filmmaker, it depends on what mood I’m in. Sometimes I love to watch deep, sad or dramatic films which will bring up more emotion, as I find this cathartic. And other times, I’m not in the place for this, and I need to watch something lighter, more escapist, with a happy ending.
A few months ago, I read a ‘Deadline’ film magazine article online, with Vadim Vereshchagin — CEO of Russia’s ‘Central Partnership’, saying that some dramas weren’t working with Russian audiences in 2021 and that this also happened after World War II and the Great Depression in the US, with the most popular genre being comedies. Of course, this makes sense, as we as a world are going through a collective trauma, so do we want to watch serious films? We need some light relief!

Interestingly, just after World War II, audiences wanted to watch more serious dramas again, as they needed some kind of emotional release and catharsis, a kind of post-war healing. I think it’s fascinating that cinema reflects the zeitgeist of the world and the psychological state of audiences.

But as you say Julia, and I think you’re right; sad endings, tragedy, can potentially bring us closer to truth, closer to our deeper selves, even our hidden selves — closer to something more profound.

NEW REALITY

— What are you working on now?

— My next feature film in late development is ‘The Stolen Sun’ — a historical action drama set in ancient Celtic Britain. It’s a lot more commercial than ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’, but my vision is to make an intelligent action film, that still has deep themes, so I will still be exploring themes of life and death, faith, the natural world.

Cornwall.

I understand that Russia has produced more of this style of film in the last 10 to 20 years than we have, here in the UK. Examples would be the Russian films: ‘Viking’ (2016), starring Danila Kozlovskiy, directed by Andrei Kravchuk and also ‘Mongol’ (2007), directed by Sergei Bodrov, a film I reference a lot in style, to that of ‘The Stolen Sun’.

We have lots of location options for ‘The Stolen Sun’, both in the UK and globally. It will all depend on film finance and production partners.

Beyond ‘The Stolen Sun’, I have other feature film ideas that are in early development across different genres.

Peter Cadwell.

— How does the work go under the conditions of a different reality (I mean life in the era of coronavirus and widespread restrictions and lockdowns)? What has changed in your work and your life?

— Due to the pandemic, I’ve had setbacks in production with ‘The Stolen Sun’, as well as with current partners and potential new partners we were in discussions with. But I’m now picking up steam again and reaching out to potential collaborators. Beyond this, not that much has changed. I’m finding the process is still the same within the film industry, in working to secure finance to make the film. There are just a few more obstacles now, due to the pandemic.

— How did you survive the first lockdown? What were you doing? Has this time been good for you, or vice versa?

— Regarding the first lockdown, I found it ok. Of course, it brought challenges, but I found an acceptance in it and took some time out, which at times felt good, like the world was taking a breather and maybe we were all healing in some way. I used the time to reflect on life.

I was fortunate to be living back in Cornwall, rather than being in London, where I had lived for many years. So, I had space to get out for walks and not be surrounded by too many people. Saying that, this was the first lockdown, subsequent lockdowns here were more challenging.

Cornwall.

With further lockdowns, we had an influx of people coming to Cornwall, UK, as it was a safe, spacious, beautiful place to escape the pandemic. But then due to so many people coming here, Cornwall become the UK’s Covid hotspot. Throw into the mix, differing views on how to behave during a pandemic, with some people being respectful of others, whilst others not being respectful at all, and it all started to feel crazy. It still feels strange and I’m still processing it all. I think globally, many of us are still processing it all.

But overall, I feel very grateful. My thoughts are with millions of others out there, who are truly suffering through this pandemic. I’ve found that thought mind-blowing at times, all those millions of lives across the planet, which would have been so deeply and tragically affected by this global crisis. For me, that puts everything into perspective.

— What is happening now in the film industry and in particular, the British film industry? What difficulties does the film industry have now? Who and how can overcome them?

— Of course, the global film industry is going through tremendous upheaval and changes due to the pandemic, and with the rise of the streamers (Netflix, Amazon, etc).

Currently, the main models for filmmakers are; a theatrical pre-sale model, where you must have a big-named star attached to the project to attract finance. The SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand) model, where you do a deal with a major streamer such as Netflix or Amazon who fund the project. The rich investor model, where you’re reliant on private investment. And finally, the super indie model, where you’re working on a really limited budget and self-distributing.

Of course, these breakdowns are generalised and there are many challenges across the film industry, too many to mention. But, simply, the biggest challenge for filmmakers is getting the finance to make a film. Beyond film production finance, the challenge is getting the marketing budget, and people who are experienced in film marketing to cut through all the noise.

Of course, things have changed with regards to making sure everything is Covid safe, which is adding more to production budgets. Then there is the issue of insurance, as producers need to insure productions for Covid outbreaks onset, etc.

Regarding the UK film industry, there is not a lot of money in the UK for independent film and this has been on the decline for the last ten years at least. Earning a living as an independent film producer in the UK is a real problem. A recent report here in the UK, said the average income a year for UK producers, is only £6,000.

Due to the UK being a large service provider to the US film industry, there is a production boom here in the UK, with the US streamers building new studios here, and making more content here. This leads to lots of UK crew working on these productions, but then not being available for work on independent films.

Tax credits are crucial for UK film, as it’s some guaranteed revenue, but the UK film tax credit is great for UK service providers and not so great for emerging homegrown producers and independent filmmakers. Independent filmmakers are having to cut their budgets back and make smaller films, with limited locations and characters, like ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’. But then, it’s hard to distribute films like ‘The Fighter’s Ballad’ to compete in the global film marketplace.

A good example of a film producer who’s overcoming these issues is Jason Blum, the US film producer. Jason Blum makes genre films, mostly horror, on a few million dollars and makes big profits. He’s created a fantastic film business model. I think there is a place to try and make high-quality genre films at lower budgets, around the few million mark, that compete in the international film marketplace.

Peter Cadwell.

— What are your predictions for the future of the world film business and, in particular, English?

— I think the streamers will simply continue and grow, as they have so much power now, so much money. And they have the world’s attention, through the main digital platforms. In a world of lockdowns and social distancing, watching movies at home has become the norm.

I think cinemas will keep going, but sadly I think cinematic releases will be reserved for mainstream franchise movies, with unusual smaller films breaking through, whether that be due to its genre, style and cast, etc. I’m personally still a huge advocate for the theatrical experience and films made to be shown on the big screen. For instance, one of my current favourite directors is Denis Villeneuve, whose films I love and his most recent film ‘Dune’ was so beautiful to watch in the cinema.

As for smaller movies, I think it’s still about festivals and building exposure and even if a film is amazing, or just ok, without good distribution, sadly it’s straight to VOD, in a sea of other VOD films. So then it comes down to the film’s marketing. Ultimately, we’re in the digital age, so it’s how well filmmakers use these platforms to help distribute their films, as well as how they market their films.

Globally, I think filmmakers will go where it’s safe — politically, economically, Covid. Many countries are competing to try and offer the best film tax incentives, best locations, best crews, best Covid safety measures for filmmakers. And of course, the film industry can bring a great deal to a country, with inward investment, infrastructure and publicity.

I think the UK film industry will of course continue to develop its relationship with the US and Hollywood, as its business, big industry. And the UK is a big service provider to the US, with several Hollywood productions shooting in the UK. As for smaller independent filmmakers, to be honest, I don’t know yet. For filmmakers, I think it all depends on the kind of films you want to make, that will lead you down certain paths.


RUSSIAN CINEMA

— What do you think about Russian cinema? Have you seen any old Soviet films, modern films? Perhaps you even like something?

— I’ve watched a few Russian films, but I really liked those that I have watched. Of course, Andrei Tarkovsky is one of Russia’s greatest film directors — one of the world’s greatest film directors. I’m a huge fan of his films and his vision. I want to watch ‘Come and See’, directed by Elem Klimov, but I’m gearing myself up for it, as I feel I need to be in the right place to give the film, the attention it deserves.

As for more recent Russian filmmakers, I’ve seen ‘Leviathan’ directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev. I’ve also seen a few films now by director/producer Timur Bekmambetov. I recently saw ‘Sputnik’, directed by Egor Abramenko which I thought was a cool horror film. And I’ve recently heard of the new Russian film ‘Unclenching the Fists’, directed by Kira Kovalenko.

As mentioned earlier, I’ve seen the Russian films ‘Viking’, starring Danila Kozlovskiy, directed by Andrei Kravchuk… and ‘Mongol’, directed by Sergei Bodrov. Talking of Danila Kozlovskiy, he’s an actor I would love to work alongside one day. I’m also keen to see the recent film that Danila Kozlovskiy has directed, ‘Chernobyl: Abyss’.

What I see and feel in Russian culture and Russian cinema, is a tremendous depth and richness of the soul. Great beauty, strength, toughness, fortitude, people of the earth. In my humble knowledge of Russian history, this is incredibly powerful for the rest of the world.

Peter Cadwell.

— Would you like to work with Russian filmmakers? In what capacity? Perhaps you could create something specifically for the Russian film market?

— Yes, I’d like to collaborate with Russian filmmakers. In terms of capacity, I think it depends on the project. If I had the opportunity to work on a Russian film, it would probably be as an actor.

But if there was an opportunity for a co-production with Russia and the UK, I would like to be an actor, screenwriter, director, producer. Yes, it would be great to create something with Russia.

— If you were offered to make a film in Russia and for Russia, what kind of film would it be (modern, historical, fairy tale, based on Russian classical literature)? Who would you invite to your team (actors, directors)? What role would you be interested in playing in the Russian film?

— If I had an opportunity to make a film in Russia and for Russia, I have several ideas. Whether that is collaborating on my current project ‘The Stolen Sun’ or another film in development, or a film based on classical Russian literature, that would be fantastic! It would be great to create a co-production with Russia, for the Russian film market, as well as for the international film market. As for who I’d invite to my team, well, I think it would be great to bring in Russian, UK and European actors, producers, crew all coming together as an international production. As for what role I would be curious to play, that’s an interesting question! Maybe a soldier, or a poet, or a priest.

— Peter, thank you very much for your interesting answers! I hope that joint international projects between Russia and Great Britain will happen in the near future, and no pandemics and lockdowns will prevent this.

Julia Kalashnikova

Photo from the personal archive of Peter Cadwell

Peter Cadwell’s official website: https://www.petercadwell.com/

Russian Version (Русская версия) 

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