Jim Broadbent – The Duke #Venezia77

September 15, 2020

Jim Broadbent - The Duke #Venezia77 fredfilmradio

Podcast | Download

PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Jim Broadbent, actor of the film The Duke.

“The Duke, in the great tradition of Ealing Comedies, shows a small man speaking truth to power. It is a serious story not to be taken too seriously”: these are the words of director Roger Michell when talking about his new film The Duke starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. The film is in competition at the 77th Venice Film Festival and sees Jim Broadbent in the role of Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver, who, in 1961, stole Francisco Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. Broadbent describes his character’s contradiction and comments on how the film can make us reflect about the importance of connecting to people.

The Duke: In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver, stole Francisco Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly – he had long campaigned for pensioners to receive free television. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only fifty years later did the full story emerge – Kempton had spun a web of lies. The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage – how and why he used the Duke to achieve that is a wonderfully uplifting tale.

To watch FRED video interview, click here.

Written by: fredfilmradio

Chiara Nicoletti Jim Broadbent The Duke venezia 77

Guest

Ludovica Fales Matt Micucci

Film

Festival

Mostra del Cinema di Venezia

Rate it

Channel posts

News

Golden Globes 2026 winners: One Battle After Another tops film night

January 12, 2026

Golden Globes 2026: One Battle After Another and Hamnet split top film prizes; Adolescence dominates TV.

News

Béla Tarr (1955–2026): Time, Cinema and the Ethics of Attention

January 7, 2026

Béla Tarr died on 6 January 2026. Across nine films, he transformed time into an ethical stance and cinema into an act of resistance.

Interview

Focus London

Interview with Simone Gandolfo, President of Valle d’Aosta Film Commission at Focus London 2025

December 13, 2025

An exclusive interview with Simone Gandolfo, President of Valle d’Aosta Film Commission, on Focus London 2025 and why the Alpine region is a hidden gem for film and TV producers.