PODCAST| Nicolò Comotti interviews Mike Leigh, director of the film Peterloo.

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

Mike Leigh is here in Venice to present his latest film Peterloo, in Venice 75’s official competition. It turned out to be a chance for us to hear his view on filmmaking and how the presence of certain, simple things can easily make you a director.

Peterloo: An epic portrayal of the events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where a peaceful pro-democracy rally at St Peter’s Field in Manchester turned into one of the bloodiest and most notorious episodes in British history. The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to demand political reforms and protest against rising levels of poverty. Many protestors were killed and hundreds more injured, sparking a nationwide outcry but also further government suppression. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy which also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper.

To know more about the film, click here.