• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Exclusive Interviews – Clio Barnard, Ruth Wilson and Mark Stanley talk Dark River

February 21, 2018 by Freda Cooper

One of the most distinctive and uncompromising voices in British film returns to cinemas this week.  Often described as the natural successor to Ken Loach, Clio Barnard moves from the urban setting of her much-praised The Selfish Giant (2013) to the windswept farming country of the Yorkshire Moors in Dark River.

 

Based on Rose Tremain’s Trespass, the film is an intense study of tradition, family relationships and the effects of abuse.  For Barnard herself, the biggest challenge in making the film was to tell a story “about something unspoken.”  Talking to Flickering Myth’s Freda Cooper, she reveals how she approached this, as well offering her thoughts on the reasons behind the recent upsurge in British films set in farming communities.

Actress Ruth Wilson, relished the opportunity of “getting mucky on the farm” when she was offered the pivotal role of Alice in Dark River.  It meant three weeks hands-on experience on a local farm so that she could convincingly shear and manhandle the sheep, a constant in the film, although it couldn’t prepare her for the constantly changing weather that made continuity “a nightmare.”

Wilson divides her time between cinema, TV and theatre and she talks about her next project, a TV drama based on her own family history.  She stars as her grandmother.

For co-star, Mark Stanley, this is his first lead role in a feature film.  His fascination with Barnard’s approach to film making was one of the main reasons for getting on board, even though he felt the part was more for an older actor.  Like Ruth Wilson, he also spent time on a farm, where he was adopted by one particular lamb, who appears frequently in the film.

Stanley’s next project takes him to Scotland for another feature film.  Born To Run, which he expects to start filming in March, is about a much faster pace of life than down on the farm.

Dark River is released in cinemas on Friday, 23rd February. Read our review of the film here.

Freda Cooper.  Follow me on Twitter.

Filed Under: Exclusives, Freda Cooper, Interviews, Movies Tagged With: Born to Run, Clio Barnard, Dark River, Ken Loach, Mark Stanley, Rose Tremain, Ruth Wilson, The Selfish Giant, Trespass

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Exploring George A. Romero’s Non-Zombie Movies

Great Cult 90s Horror Movies You Have To See

When Movie Artwork Was Great

Forgotten 90s Action Movies That Deserve a Second Chance

The Cinematic Crossovers We Need To See

10 Great 1980s Sci-Fi Adventure Movies

Great Mob Movies You Might Have Missed

The Essential Modern Conspiracy Thrillers

The Queens of the B-Movie

Ten Controversial Movies and the Drama Around Them

Top Stories:

Great Tarantino-esque Movies You Need To See

Street Fighter casts David Dastmalchian as M. Bison and Cody Rhodes as Guile

Whatever Happened to the Horror Icon?

The Rise of Paul Thomas Anderson: A Living Legend

Movie Review – Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

Movie Review – The Shrouds (2025)

Comic Book Preview – Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes & Rivals

Back to the Future at 40: The Story Behind the Pop Culture Touchstone

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

7 Mad Movie Doctors Who Deserve More Recognition

Gladiator at 25: The Story Behind Ridley Scott’s Sword-and-Sandal Epic

Takashi Miike: The Modern Godfather of Horror

Cinema of Violence: 10 Great Hong Kong Movies of the 1980s

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket