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Seventh Row Editors / January 17, 2025

Ep. 156 Three myths about Mike Leigh’s process debunked

In this episode of the podcast, Alex debunks three common myths about Mike Leigh’s process, on the occasion of the release of his new film Hard Truths

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Still of Mike Leigh on set. Alex discusses three myths about Mike Leigh's process on the podcast and what his actual process looks like.
Still of Mike Leigh on set. Alex discusses three myths about Mike Leigh’s process on the podcast and what his actual process looks like.

Legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh has a new film out in cinemas called Hard Truths, which is one of the best films of the year.

What makes Mike Leigh’s films so good and so uniquely Mike Leigh Films is inextricable from the process he uses to make them. But there are quite a few common myths and misconceptions about his process, including that his films are improvised and, confusingly, that his films are rehearsed.

In this episode, Alex debunks these myths using research from her 2018 book Peterloo in Process: A Mike Leigh Collaboration, co-written and co-edited by Orla Smith. The book dives deeper into Leigh’s process through interviews with him and his collaborators on the film, both behind and in front of the camera. 

You can purchase a copy of Peterloo in Process at https://mikeleighbook.com

Alex also briefly discusses myfrenchfilmfestival. For more information about the festival, sign up for the Seventh Row Newsletter.

Related Episodes to Mike Leigh’s process

TIFF 2024 #4: British social realism: Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and Andrea Arnold’s Bird

Ep. 119 Mike Leigh’s Naked

Ep. 32 Sorry We Missed You and Peterloo

Ep. 11 Mike Leigh’s Peterloo

Podcast Credits

This episode was edited, produced, and recorded by Alex Heeney.

Follow Seventh Row on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram. Read our articles at seventh-row.com.

Follow Alex Heeney on Bluesky, Twitter and Instagram. 

An AI-generated transcript for the episode is available on Apple Podcasts.

Filed Under: Mike Leigh Podcast Episodes, Podcasts Tagged With: Alex Heeney podcast, Lindsay Pugh podcast, Women Directors

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Ep. 155 Halina Reijn’s Babygirl
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Ep. 157 myfrenchfilmfestival: A Real Job, No Love Lost, and Through the Night

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