Shooting in the Depths of Yorkshire

The Australian Women's Weekly celebrates Frances O'Connor's "return to Australia" and talks, among many others, about the shooting of Emily:

By the time she earned her second Golden Globe nod, for The Missing in 2015, she was thinking seriously about a story she had long wanted to tell.

Frances, who has a degree in English Literature, had become enthralled by Emily Brontë’s gothic Wuthering Heights, which she read while being shuttled to and from her Catholic high school in WA when she was 15. When Mansfield Park went on hiatus because the director became ill Frances visited Yorkshire, where the Brontë sisters had lived.

Over the years she began slowly drafting a screenplay. There was “such a long list of people” who gave her encouragement, support and constructive feedback on her first draft. Gerald [Lepkowski[, of course, was her number-one champion. Soon she invited more people to offer feedback.

“There’s something affirming about that. If you take a step into something you want to do creatively, a lot of people will back you … That’s the thing I love about the industry – it’s a community. If you say: ‘Hey, I want to do this’, people really get behind you and they’ll go, ‘Yeah, let me read your script’. Rob Connolly [director of The Dry] was one of the first people who went, ‘Oh, my daughters would love to see this film. Let me help you’.”

Frances enjoyed the challenge. She sees herself as an actor, not a star, and perhaps now, more a storyteller. She’s never liked the harsh glare of the celebrity spotlight. “For me, it’s always been a struggle,” she says. “I’m at peace with it now and I like how it is at the moment. There were times where I’d get a lot of exposure and I’ve never really been comfortable with it. I love being on a set. I love being on stage, but I find that side of the industry – because I’m an introvert – challenging.

“That’s why it’s nice to balance it with stuff behind the camera too. Some people are really good at it, and I just feel I don’t have that skill set.” Even though she and Gerald haven’t often acted opposite each other, she directed him in Emily. “It was really fun and he was such a support to me while I was making the film as well. We were shooting in the depths of Yorkshire, so we were kind of isolated anyway.”

Filming took place during the pandemic. “We’d been cooped up and suddenly we were out on these wild Yorkshire Dales. I look back at that time of making Emily as very magical.”

The film opened at the Toronto Film Festival. For someone who’s never relished publicity, how did Frances cope with the prospect of critical responses to something so personal? “ (...)

“You’d never make anything if you were worried about how it’s being perceived. All you have to do is try to make the best work that you can in that moment,” Frances continues. “After that it’s about turning up and doing the work so you can get better at it. You’ve got to be prepared to be in the dust and struggle with what you’re trying to create. It can be messy sometimes. Since I’m older I’ve become better at that, but I’ve still got a way to go.” (Genevieve Gannon)

Times Now News recommends books if you love Wuthering Heights:

Whether you love sad love stories, interesting characters, or captivating settings, these books will take you into worlds that remind you of Emily Brontë's beautiful masterpiece, Wuthering Heights.
1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. 

Charlotte Brontë, Emily's sister, penned this equally iconic novel. Jane Eyre follows the journey of an orphaned girl who becomes a governess and falls in love with her enigmatic employer, Mr. Rochester. Like Wuthering Heights, it explores themes of love, social class, and the supernatural.

The Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) has an article about the upcoming Most Wuthering Heights Day in Dunedin:

The fun and flamboyant community dance event "The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever" returns to Dunedin’s Octagon this month, filling the space with a sea of red-clad "Kates".

Based around a flash mob re-creating Kate Bush’s 1978 iconic song and dance, the light-hearted event will be held from 11am next Saturday, July 20. (Brenda Harwood)

Ultimate Classic Rock analyzes Stevie Nicks's albums:

A collaboration mainly with Eurythmics' Dave Stewart, In Your Dreams is one of Nicks' most adventurous-sounding albums. The title track is hot-rodding power-pop; "Wide Sargasso Sea" hews toward psychedelic rock; and "Soldier's Angel," which features Lindsey Buckingham's inimitable guitar and vocals, is sparse and haunting. But Nicks' lyrics on In Your Dreams also include some of her most introspective insights. (Allison Rapp)