“Made in England: the films of Powell and Pressburger”, interview with the executive producer Thelma Shoonmaker

February 24, 2024

Thelma Shoonmaker, executive producer, "Made In England: The Films Of Powell and Pressburger". An ode to great filmaking, a love letter from martin Scorsese to two of the greatest filmmakers of the history of cinema.

"Made in England: the films of Powell and Pressburger", interview with the executive producer Thelma Shoonmaker Angelo Acerbi

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“Made in England: The Films Of Powell and Pressburger“, directed by David Hinton, with Martin Scorsese as a narrator, is wonderful celebrative documentary on the films made by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Thelma Shoonmaker, iconic editor of all Scorsese‘s films, is executive producer (and she was Micheal Powell’s wife as well).

Martin, George and Stanley and their adoration for Powell and Pressburger

As narrated in “Made in England: The Films Of Powell and Pressburger“, Martin Scorsese helped rediscover the films of Powell and Pressburger, also helped by George Lucas and Stanley Kubrick who were fans and very determined that the duo would not been forgotten.

They met thanks to Raging Bull

Thelma Shoonmaker recalls the first time she met Michael Powell. Scorsese was doing Raging Bull, and they were editing when this man showed up. They had dinner all together and she was taken by the originality and the “britishness” of him; after some time they got married and stayed together until Powell’s death.

Plot

Martin Scorsese first encountered the films of Powell and Pressburger as a child, sitting in front of the family TV. When The Archers’ famous logo appeared on screen, Scorsese recalls: “You knew you were in for fantasy, wonder, magic – real film magic.” Now, in this documentary, he tells the story of his lifelong love affair with their movies, including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes and The Tales of Hoffmann. “Certain films you simply run all the time and you live with them,” says Scorsese. “As you grow older they grow deeper. I’m not sure how it happens, but it does. For me, that body of work is a wondrous presence, a constant source of energy, and a reminder of what life and art are all about.” Drawing on a rich array of archive material, Scorsese explores in full the collaboration between the Englishman Powell and the Hungarian Pressburger who thrived in the face of adversity during World War II but were eventually brought low by the film industry of the 1950s. Scorsese celebrates the duo’s ability to create “subversive commercial movies” and describes how deeply their films have influenced his own work.

Written by: Angelo Acerbi

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger