Saul Dibb Is A Hungry Man

The crime-ridden streets of East London, German-occupied France and trenches of World War I are not the most glamorous of filming locations for film crews. It’s just as well, then, that Hungry Man’s latest signing Saul Dibb doesn’t seem to mind getting stuck in, creating captivating stories in these testing surroundings.

Over the years Saul has directed a number of sumptuous and engaging pieces for the big screen and TV, including ‘Bullet Boy’, ‘The Line of Beauty’, ‘The Duchess’, ‘Suite Française’  and ‘NW’, recently debuting his latest film, ‘Journey’s End’, at the 2017 BFI London Film Festival.

We're big fans of Saul’s body of work, so reached out to have a chat with the man about how he got into the business, the challenges he faces on set, his production process and upcoming projects.

Congratulations on signing with Hungry Man. They have a great roster of directors there. What influenced you to join?

Thank you. After great experiences making 'NW' and 'Journey’s End' in the last year, it’s felt like a bit of reset for me in film-making terms and I’m very glad to mark that with signing on with Hungry Man too. The decision to join was pretty simple - I really like their work (as you say their directors are brilliant) and I really like the people. Matt Buels and Ben Roberts are very passionate, very funny and completely get what I want to do.

How did you get started in the business?

Like most filmmakers, the first things I made were shorts - but then went on to shoot and direct documentaries for about ten years. These ranged from black comedies about an Islamic fundamentalist trying to turn the UK into a state of Islam ('Tottenham Ayatollah') to a series about shoplifters from the point of view of the shoplifters themselves ('Lifters').

Your feature debut 'Bullet Boy' from 2004 was the first time we came across your work. What were your reasons for writing and making a picture revolving around that subject matter?

It was a subject that I’d always wanted to explore but didn’t feel able to (for obvious reasons!) in a documentary - so I suggested to the BBC that we make it as a feature. I was reading all the time about ‘gangs’ and wanted to puncture the myths and misconceptions surrounding that with a very human story. We pitched as ‘Kes with guns’ and they went for it there and then. 

You also directed 'The Duchess' in 2008, an arguably bigger production featuring a fantastic cast.  What challenges did you face on this picture? Were you pleased with how the film was received?

It was indeed a much bigger production (about ten times the budget of 'Bullet Boy') and it was very different to enter the world of period film-making - where we’d wait three hours every morning just for the costumes and wigs to be put on. Plus the expectations of financial success are much greater when it’s cost a lot to make…

That aside the fundamental challenges remain the same - performance, story-telling and finding an aesthetic form that best fits the content.

You assembled another incredible female centric cast on 'Suite Francaise' in 2014. How do you get the best out of the actors when working on a production of this scale?

I try to do as much work beforehand talking to the actors about their characters and situations - because when you’re on set with all that machinery behind you there’s very little time to stop and think for too long. I also try to create a relaxed atmosphere where actors feel safe to explore their character, along with choosing real locations over sets to help them feel properly a part of the world they’re performing in.

In 2016 you worked on the TV adaptation of Zadie Smiths novel 'NW' for The BBC. How did the process differ from a feature? Were you involved with the writing?

I wasn’t involved in the writing but we did move quite a lot of scenes around in the edit - it’s told from three different viewpoints with three different timezones and that took some trial and error to finally get right!

The biggest difference to film is simply about the time and money available and the speed you have to work - we had a schedule of around 20 days for 'NW' when the two previous films were around 50. 

In the future would you prefer to work more in TV or in features? Which do you prefer?

I’m not bothered particularly - and have both TV and film projects in development - it’s the story and script that matter most. And it’s clearly the case that television has become a much more exciting place in the last years.

You have a fascinating looking film coming in 2017 with 'Journey's End' based on the R. C. Sherriff play. Most of your pictures are period pieces, do you enjoy the challenge of recreating these eras and creating stories based in these worlds?

I do - but I have to say it’s not that I seek them out (I’m usually on the hunt for strong contemporary projects when a script comes along that I really love!) And although a few of my films have been set in the past I try to approach the film-making in a contemporary way - which is perhaps more true with 'Journey’s End' than any I’ve made previously. I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out.

Your father Mike Dibb is a well known documentarian, do you have any subjects or topics that you would ever want to cover in a documentary? 

That’s a good question. I always wanted to make a documentary about Eminem when he was at the height of his powers - but would still love to do one with/about him now. 

You have also directed many ad campaigns over the years, do you enjoy the process of directing shorter projects?

Yes I love making them. Films can take years to get off the ground - let alone make and then release - and it’s great to get the chance to conceive, shoot and edit something in a much shorter timescale. I can bring what I’ve learnt from films to commercials but as there's often  greater scope for experimentation in commercials this then feeds back into the films.

What's next?

I’d love to say exactly what’s next in terms of film but it’s not fully confirmed yet so unfortunately I can’t.

In terms of TV, I’m attached to direct a limited series of JG Ballard’s 'Super-Cannes' which I’m very excited about, and have also been working on a returning series with the writer Ben Lyle based on his brilliant series of books, 'The Irregular'.