An Interview with Alexandria McGuiness, Director of the Lotus Easter

An Interview with Alexandria McGuiness, Director of the Lotus Easter

By Writer, Yevette Renee Nelson

I had the wonderful occasion to talk with writer and director Alexandra McGuinness. The focal point was her inspiration for writing and directing Lotus Eaters. It is a modern day version of the Greek mythological Lotus Eaters. The film trails a clique of young, fabulously wealthy Londoners whose lives are filled with incessant boredom, sex and drugs.

Yevette Renee Nelson:    Alexandra, you are the co-writer and director. What motivated you to write Lotus Eaters?

Alexandra McGuinness:    I had a note book filled with different characters and put them together. The script was written quite quickly.

Yevette Renee Nelson:    Alice (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) was calm. She spoke a lot with her eyes. Why the difference between how she communicated and the other characters?

Alexandra McGuinness:    The other characters were loud. They talked over each other. I wanted Alice to tell her story with glances.

Yevette Renee Nelson:    Why did you shoot the film in black and white?

Alexandra McGuinness:    I was inspired by fashion photographers of the 80’s Photographers like Peter Lumberg. Black and white creates distance. It gives a documentary feel.

Yevette Renee Nelson:    Do you plan on working again with any of the actors?

Alexandra McGuinness:    I was with Antonia and Felix at the screening in New York. I would like to work with them in the future, yet there isn’t any thing planned.

Yevette Renee Nelson:    What do you have planned next?

Alexandra McGuinness:    I will be filming in Germany in October. The film is a comedy drama. A woman goes crazy making her movie that never happens.

Yevette Renee Nelson:    Alexandra, what do you want people to know about Lotus Eaters?
Alexandra McGuinness:    The film has some great music that is available on Itunes.

Lotus Eaters

Production companies: McGuinnessLee, Fastnet Films

Director:         Alexandra McGuinness

Cast:     Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Benn Northover, Alex Wyndham, Marsha Hunt, Cynthia Fortune Ryan, Daisy Lewis, Gina Bramhill, Johnny Flynn

Producers:         Mark Lee, Morgan Bushe, Kyle Blanshard

Screenwriters:     Alexandra McGuinness, Brendan Grant

Director of photography: Gareth Munden

Production designer:     Richard Hudson

Music:         Birger Clausen

Costume designer:     Ruth Higginbotham

Editor:         Bert Hunger, Emer Reynolds

Run time: 76 minutes