Sight and Sound December 2021

Taking place over a tumultuous Christmas at Sandringham, Spencer, Pablo Larraín’s biopic of Diana, Princess of Wales is unlike any portrait of the royal family you will have seen before. It is, as Terri White writes, “a gothic horror, a ghost story, a surreal psychological thriller”, with Kristen Stewart giving a central performance that “absolutely sounds and looks like Princess Diana but, perhaps more importantly, puts a psychic echo of her on screen, makes the audience feel Diana as it pulls you inside her skin”. White and Stewart discuss about the star’s shapeshifting career, from teen fantasy-romance star to arthouse collaborator.

Elsewhere, Jane Campion speaks about The Power of the Dog, her first film in over a decade, which is typically perceptive about the myriad effects of toxic masculinity, as channeled through Benedict Cumberbatch’s rancher Phil.

As a complete retrospective of Mike Leigh’s films returns to cinemas, we sit down with the British director and avid cinephile to chart his cinematic loves and obsessions, from the 1950s to today.

Céline Sciamma returns to childhood for Petite Maman, her magical and tender look at the relationship between two eight-year-old girls. The director speaks to us about the film’s simple but striking premise and the moments lifted from her own youth.

Toyoda Toshiaki has been long overdue his UK breakthrough. This interview charts the often troubled waters of his career whilst shining a light on his cult filmmaking style.

And the Black Film Bulletin returns for another packed instalment, which looks back at the year nearing its end, and looks forward to the future, via interviews with archivists, curators, filmmakers, critics, producers and more. Jennifer G. Robinson discusses Channel 4’s ‘Black to Front’ day of programming, and an extended interview with the luminary British producer Nadine Marsh-Edwards continues.