Emerald Fennell has described the journey her film Promising Young Woman made to win two Baftas as “completely incredible”.
The movie, which stars Carey Mulligan as a traumatised woman seeking vengeance, took home the gongs for outstanding British film and original screenplay, with Fennell both writer and director.
Speaking in the winners’ room, she said: “I don’t think I would believe it. Honestly, if I went back to the first day of filming, because we made this film in 22 days, it is a labour of love for everyone who made it and we never dreamed it would come this far. It has been completely incredible.”
"It was a labour of love". @emeraldfennell thanks the whole crew as she picks up the Outstanding British Film BAFTA for Promising Young Woman (@PromisingFilm) #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/2BS8NDtgBn
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) April 11, 2021
Fennell, who also starred in lavish Netflix drama The Crown as the Duchess of Cornwall, said she planned to pursue directing over acting in the near future.
She said: “I just honestly will do whatever is asked of me. I just love making things and I love working with the amazing people that I have been able to work with.
“I think for the foreseeable it will be behind the camera just for time reasons. But, you know, I love acting.”
Daniel Kaluuya won best supporting actor for Judas And The Black Messiah just three years after he was named Bafta’s rising star at the 2018 ceremony.
He said: “I feel like I have still got a bit of rising to do. I feel like I have got a lot of work to do, so I’m still cracking on.”
Asked about his prospects at the Oscars later this month, where he is also nominated in the best supporting actor category, Kaluuya said: “I’m chill. I take every day as it comes now. I don’t think like that – I’m just chill.
“I am enjoying this. I have got to vibe out for this, let me just chill in this. I’m not thinking about two weeks’ time.”
#TBT on the set of The Father. Thank you @sonyclassics and Florian Zeller pic.twitter.com/SyH8Ixan6E
— Anthony Hopkins (@AnthonyHopkins) April 1, 2021
The Father director Florian Zeller, who is French, praised the film’s star Sir Anthony Hopkins and explained the veteran actor was the reason he wrote the film in English.
The drama, adapted from Zeller’s 2012 play Le Pere, explores the relationship between a man with dementia in old age and his family and won adapted screenplay, while Sir Anthony scooped leading actor.
Zeller said: “The reason why I really wanted to make that film in English was because when I was dreaming about making that film the one and only face that came to mind was Anthony’s, so it was mainly to be able to work with him that I had to make that film in English.”