Michael Winterbottom on Genova

The writer-director tells us about his forthcoming drama starring Colin Firth

The acclaimed British director Michael Winterbottom made his latest feature in the Italian port city of Genova. In his trademark intimate, naturalistic style, he's created a portrait of a family's struggle to overcome their grief. Father Joe, played by Colin Firth, takes his daughters Kelly (Willa Holland) and Mary (Perla Haney-Jardine) to Genova in the aftermath of a car accident in which their mother died. As they settle in to a new way of life for the summer, we follow the individual journeys they take that will eventually bring them closer together.

When you first considered making Genova, what came first - the location, or the story?
Before I began working on the script I was in Italy and saw Genova so in a way that came first. Then I went back a couple of times while I was working on the story.

What was it about the city that appealed to you for this film?
Genova is a big modern city, with a big industrial centre and ports. So it has a lot of energy. It also has a large medieval old town that's very crowded. There's this maze, like a labyrinth, of alleyways and it feels like its not been changed much over centuries. When I was there I was considering that there might be a film we could make.

Did you feel the city reflects on the emotional journey of the family?
The characters in the film are emotionally lost. They're on their way to starting a new life and struggling to come to terms with what has happened to them. As they wander around the alleyways of the old town, the maze is a physical version of what's going on mentally and emotionally for them.

Was it a challenging city to work in?
As you'd imagine it would be enjoyable to make a film in Italy and it was. We were a very small crew so we weren't trying to control the whole of Genova. It was a bit of a summer holiday really - a summer holiday making a film.

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