PODCAST | Sarah Bradbury interviews Alicia Vikander, actress of the film Earthquake Bird.

To listen to the interview, click on the ► icon on the right, just above the picture

We hit the red carpet for the premiere of Earthquake Bird at the BFI London Film Festival. Lead actress Alicia Vikander told us why she wanted to play the role in the 1989 Japan-set film and her experience of preparing for playing the cello and speaking Japanese. Director Wash Westmoreland told us what inspired him to tell the story while actor Naoki Kobayashi explained why he wanted to be involved.

Earthquake Bird: Lucy (Vikander) is a buttoned-up, MUJI-clad translator who has been in Japan for five years and is desperate to blend in. Her reticent nature hides old scars. There’s also the fact that people around her keep dying – accidentally or otherwise. After a street encounter with hot photographer Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi), she quickly finds herself under his spell, despite all the warning signs. And the pot is stirred further when American nurse Lily (Riley Keough) – all blowsy sexual confidence and cultural naïvety – arrives in town and Lucy experiences some frightening impulses. Wash Westmoreland (Colette) has crafted a moody and intriguing update on 1980s psycho-sexual thrillers, shifting the emphasis onto the psychology of the female protagonist. Alicia Vikander is astonishing in a role that explores cultural fascination, belonging and obsession.

To discover more about the film, click here.