Laura Carreira on BAFTA Breakthrough, BIFA noms and success of On Falling
On Tuesday, BAFTA unveiled the members of this year’s BAFTA Breakthrough cohort: 20 creatives in film, TV or games who will receive support, guidance and networking opportunities for a year to help them turn their early success into long and sustainable careers in the industry.
Portuguese filmmaker Laura Carreira, who co-wrote and directed On Falling, is a member of this year’s cohort alongside My Father’s Shadow director/co-writer Akinola Davies Jr. and Harvest producer Marie-Elena Dyche. You can check out the full list right at the bottom.
I spoke to Carreira earlier this year to support the release of On Falling, so it was a delight to catch up with the Scotland-based filmmaker over Zoom again to celebrate her BAFTA Breakthrough achievement as well as her four British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) nominations for Best Director, Best Debut Director, Best Screenplay and Best Debut Screenwriter.
In the following conversation, we discuss all of these successes, her breakout year, and what comes next. Enjoy!
Hi Laura. You may not remember me, but I spoke to you earlier this year to support On Falling. So a huge congratulations on the success you’ve had since then.
Thank you so much. It’s been pretty non-stop.
First of all, let’s talk about the BAFTA Breakthrough. Where were you when you found out you’d made the cohort, and how did you react to this news?
I don’t remember where I was. I think I found out on my phone so hopefully not in the bathroom! I’m not sure where, but obviously, great news. You know, you’re not allowed to share it, so I definitely didn’t share it apart from my partner and my agent. You’re not allowed to share it, so I’ve not told many people actually (yet).
With the BAFTA Breakthrough, what do you intend to do with the resources and access that are given to you?
I’m going to be trying to work out, like almost strategic meetings I’d like to take. There’s a few projects and a few ideas that I have cooking, and so I think it’s going to be a matter of thinking, ‘OK, who could I benefit from meeting for this particular project?’ So I think I’m going to try and be very strategic about it, so I can get some more things in development and maybe get the right support also for production. I heard, also, they have like a coach, so I’m going to try and have like a strategy.
What does it mean to you to have ‘broken through’ as a filmmaker this year?
It’s quite an honour. I mean, it’s tough to make films, you know, it’s tough to stay active in this industry, and so to have this recognition, you know, (it) means a lot. Also, I’ve lived in the U.K. for like 13 years, so I don’t know, there’s also something about that journey that makes it more meaningful for me as well.
How has your career or perhaps your life – maybe both – changed since the release of On Falling?
Oh, it’s changed a lot. I mean, it’s my first film, and obviously I didn’t know how the film was going to be received, what the life of the film was going to be like. Previous to having made On Falling, I spent a lot of time, you know, mainly trying to make a film. (I was) not sure if I was ever going to be able to do a feature. Now that I’ve done it, it’s just kind of just opened up so many doors and now it feels possible that, you know, I can pitch ideas, I can actively really engage with, like, OK, what is the next film I’m going to make, what is the film after. That’s quite exciting because that horizon hasn’t always been there, really. So it’s the first time that it’s a possibility.
And then I guess also the promotion of the film has been quite interesting, thinking about audience reactions, hearing all the questions at the Q&As, seeing how people are connecting to the characters. I think it’s also given me, I guess, maybe the confidence. A lot of the things I chose to do with the film have been noticed as positives, as things that people are connecting with. This was not given before I made On Falling. There was a lot of concern that maybe people wouldn’t understand the character, people wouldn’t understand what she’s going through, there wouldn’t be tension enough, people wouldn’t feel for her. It was a little bit of a shot in the dark, whether it was going to work or not, and that has given me a little bit of confidence to risk more and try out things with the next ones as well.
When I spoke to you earlier this year, you said you were promoting and writing new material. So I just wonder what is on the horizon for you next?
I’m kind of back to try to do more writing than promoting at the moment. Actually, there has been a bit of news for me, how long a film’s life is. How much it needs you, even after it’s released in cinemas. And yeah, trying to get as much focus as I can into the next one. I mean, I love writing. It’s mainly what I do with most of my days, you know, directing happens for a very short, intense period, but the rest of my life is mainly writing. I’m writing a couple of projects at the moment, and I’m a bit stuck with one of them, so that one is giving me a bit of a headache at the moment, but I’ll figure it out. It’s happened with others, so you know, we’ll break through.
Do you know which one you’ll be doing next?
I think the most advanced one I have is one I started writing before On Falling. That one, I’ve been developing it with 16 Films and with Film4 and Screen Scotland. It’s also about work, but more focused on office work through a character that is sort of… I feel like it’s a little bit of a millennial crisis film, which I think a lot of people would also relate to. I think that’s the one that we’re hoping to shoot soon-ish. I think that one will be ready soon, the script.
You said just now that some doors have opened to you since the success of On Falling, and I just wondered if that meant that people were coming to you with offers to do other things, not something that you’ve generated by yourself?
Yeah, I’ve had some offers. I’m a little particular with the things I want to do, so I’ve been kind of careful to do things that I really want to do and that I love. So I’ve been generating more ideas than I’ve been taking ideas. But yeah, I’ve had proposals, and there’s still like stuff I’m discussing. It definitely opened doors, and I’ve had a lot more meetings in the last months, you know, since On Falling’s release, than I’ve had before for sure.
I also want to mention your BIFA nominations. Four, two for directing, two for screenwriting. I was so happy when I read the list. Again, where were you when you found out and how did you react to the nominations?
I was at my home with my cats, and I knew they were going to broadcast it on Instagram, so it was me reacting with my cats, actually. I wasn’t expecting at all to get the nominations. I don’t know why, but I think because I had shorts that had been longlisted and they never got the nomination, that I think in my head I was just like, ‘No, BIFAs are not for me, I don’t think,’ for some reason. Yeah, it was surprising. I think I scared one of the cats with one of the reactions.
Will you be coming down to London for the ceremony?
Yes, I will. In a couple of weeks, right? I’m looking forward to it. I heard it’s a good party, so I can’t wait.
What has the success of On Falling meant to you?
I mean, to me, it’s obviously a chance to try and do more films. That’s always been the goal, but I’ve never taken for granted that I can stay in the industry. I don’t know, it’s been hard to do the first feature, and then you hear about how much harder the second one is to make. And you know, if you also look at the statistics of female directors and the amount of films they get to make, it drops significantly after the first and the second and it continues dropping so I feel like it’s going to be uphill struggle to keep making films, but obviously the success of On Falling has meant that I have a chance of trying to do another. And yeah, I love cinema, I’d love to continue to make films, so that’s hopefully what I’ll keep doing.
Here is the full list of U.K. members of this year’s BAFTA Breakthrough programme, supported by Netflix:
Akinola Davies Jr – director/co-writer (My Father’s Shadow)
Alderney Middleton – series producer (Maddie + Triggs)
Cara Ellison – writer/ narrative designer (Ghost Town)
Ellis Howard – performer (What It Feels Like for a Girl)
Jodie-Simone Howe – costume designer (Mr Loverman)
Kyle Banks -director (Farewell North)
Laura Carreira – director/writer (On Falling)
Marie-Elena Dyche – producer (Harvest)
Mark Choi – composer (Empire of the Ants)
Matthew Gurney – performer (Reunion)
Megumi Inman – co-director/producer (Atomic People)
Nathalie Pitters – director of photography (Brian and Maggie)
Nathaniel Price – writer/associate producer (Mr Loverman)
Olaide Sadiq – director (Grenfell: Uncovered)
Owen Tooth – director (EastEnders)
Pinny Grylls – director/writer/editor (Grand Theft Hamlet)
Sally Beaumont – lead voice actor/script consultant (Old Skies)
Stanley Baxton – solo developer (LATEX, LEATHER, LIPSTICK, LOVE, LUST)
Stephanie Taylor – composer (The Search For Nicola Bulley)
Vivian Eguridu – series casting producer (Love is Blind UK Series 1)
The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
You can read my earlier interview with Carreira here and my review of On Falling here.