Director Dylan Southern Discusses Cumberbatch and New Projects

Director Dylan Southern has shared insights into his latest film, The Thing With Feathers, which features Benedict Cumberbatch in a poignant role. The film, an adaptation of Max Porter’s acclaimed book, Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was screened at the 69th BFI London Film Festival. It tells the story of a grieving father and his two young sons, navigating their emotions following the loss of a wife and mother.

The narrative unfolds as the father, portrayed by Cumberbatch, struggles to cope with his family’s tragedy. A crow emerges from the father’s writings to help guide the family through their grief, presenting a unique blend of reality and metaphor. Southern, known for his work in music documentaries, took a bold step into narrative filmmaking with this project.

From Documentaries to Narrative Film

Southern’s journey to bring The Thing With Feathers to life was marked by personal investment. “I optioned the book on my own,” he explained. “I did everything you’re not meant to as a filmmaker. I spent my own money. And I was sort of in the hole. But I believed in this book and the idea of this film so much that I just kept pushing it.” His perseverance paid off when he discovered that Cumberbatch was also a fan of the book.

“When I was told that Benedict was a huge fan of the book as well, I thought I’d take a punt,” Southern said. After sending Cumberbatch the script, he was surprised to receive a prompt response from Cumberbatch’s company, SunnyMarch, expressing interest. “I was never expecting to get an actor of his stature in the film, and I was nervous, because I’m a documentary maker, and this is my first narrative feature, but I went to meet him, and all of those nerves were dispelled.”

The collaboration between Southern and Cumberbatch proved to be fruitful, with both engaging in deep discussions about the character long before filming commenced. “He was such a great collaborator,” Southern noted. “He asked as many questions of me as I asked him.” This strong working relationship helped ease the transition from planning to production.

Future Projects and Challenges

Despite the challenges of transitioning from documentaries to feature films, Southern is not shying away from narrative work. He jokingly mentioned the allure of returning to music films, particularly with Oasis asking him and his directing partner to document their reunion. “I was not going to do another music documentary. And then, I don’t know if you’ve heard of a band called Oasis!?” he quipped.

In addition to this project, Southern is currently developing another narrative feature. He described it as “completely plot-driven with character,” contrasting it with the emotional journey portrayed in The Thing With Feathers. He emphasized the learning curve he experienced during the process and the importance of resilience in the film industry. “I wrote another film, an original film, and worked on that for five years and got to the point where we were casting and location scouting. But then the whole thing fell apart. That’s where I learned you have to have really thick skin.”

As Southern looks ahead, he is eager to continue exploring new storytelling avenues. With The Thing With Feathers now completed, he hopes to bring his next narrative project to the screen soon, emphasizing a fresh approach and a different style of storytelling.

Southern’s journey exemplifies the challenges and triumphs faced by filmmakers in the evolving landscape of cinema. As he navigates his path forward, audiences can look forward to more compelling narratives from this talented director.