Back to selection
“There’s a Lot of Hidden Pipework Pumping Out Information”: Director Stephen Merchant | Fighting with my Family
Dwayne Johnson and Vince Vaughn in Fighting with My Family Whenever directors watch their own films, they always do so with the knowledge that there are moments that occurred during their production — whether that’s in the financing and development or shooting or post — that required incredible ingenuity, skill, planning or just plain luck, but whose difficulty is invisible to most spectators. These are the moments directors are often the most proud of, and that pride comes with the knowledge that no one on the outside could ever properly appreciate what went into them.
So, we ask: “What hidden part of your film are you most privately proud of and why?”
I’ve made a movie about wrestling for people, like me, who have no interest in wrestling. I’m privately proud that audiences are swept along by the story without noticing there’s a lot of hidden pipework pumping out information about wrestling to keep them orientated and prime them for the film’s emotional pay-off.
