Ep229 - Lenny Abrahamson, Director BBC’s ‘Normal People,’ Films ‘Frank,’ & ‘Room’

Lenny Abrahamson describes his path to filmmaking as a “wandering” journey. Obsessed with books and storytelling, a few friends inspired him to create a “filmmaking society” at Trinity College near Dublin, Ireland. Abrahamson is known for the Brie Larson film ‘Room,’ the Michael Fassbender film ‘Frank,’ and now, the BBC romance series ‘Normal People,’ which is set in Ireland. The new series follows “Marianne and Connell, from different backgrounds but the same small town in Ireland, as they weave in and out of each other's romantic lives. “ In this interview, Abrahamson discusses his obsession with projects between genres, tensions versus attention, what makes undefined characters so appealing, how to make character POV in a contained space, how excess metaphorical scaffolding in the script disrespects the viewer, and why you need to think beyond rule-based approaches to directing. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5