Interview with Mahalia Belo, Director
Interview with Mahalia Belo, Director of Requiem
Published: 22 January 2018
Lydia always did something unexpected in her auditions. It’s very exciting when you find an actor and you’re never one step ahead of her.
What drew you to this project?
It was the ambition of Kris’s story and the challenge of realising it. I was excited about the the potential of another world hidden underneath the surface throughout the six episodes. That appealed because that secret hint of another realm affects everything - the visuals, the sound, the design.
What does Lydia bring to the role of Matilda?
What doesn’t she bring to it? She’s a phenomenal actor. We auditioned a lot of great actors, but Lydia always did something unexpected in her auditions. It’s very exciting when you find an actor and you’re never one step ahead of her.
Lydia brings an extraordinary imagination to the part. She’s strong, but also vulnerable. What’s so difficult about this character is that her history has been erased, and she doesn’t have any memories before a certain time. That’s very challenging for an actor. The biggest flaw in Matilda is that she doesn’t know herself. Lydia has to go on a journey discovering the character. The cast are all my allies, but Lydia is something special.
Can you tell us about Kris’s writing?
His script is a real page turner. I wanted to know what happened next - that’s what I signed up for. Every five seconds something new happens, it’s compulsive. Kris has a great understanding of how to keep people on the edge of their seats. He’s a bold writer - his script sets things up as one thing and then you discover it’s something else.
What do the Welsh locations add to the drama?
I spent a lot of time in Wales when I was growing up, and I have a big love for that country. There something at play in the countryside. That epic landscape enhances the scale of the drama, and we wanted to make sure we captured that on camera. That’s very particular to that community. It feels that Nature is pushing the story along as much as Matilda’s investigation.
What was the biggest challenge for you?
Shooting every episode out of order. It’s hard enough to film one hour out of sync, but six hours is really challenging. Knowing every character and keeping their peaks and troughs in my head was a massive task. But you can only learn from experience. I found the whole process a great education.
How would you describe the tone of Requiem?
It’s an interesting clash between a real-world, family drama, and something a lot more heightened like Rosemary’s Baby. I was also influenced by films like The Conversation. We used a lot of zooms to underline that sense of being watched. I hope the meeting of those two worlds has resulted in a strange and exciting tone.
What response do you hope Requiem will generate?
I hope people are thoroughly entertained by it. I hope they stay with us and enjoy the strange tone of the show. It’s so particular. It is its own thing, and I hope people embrace that. Finally, I hope people feel they have been on a very exciting journey and fall in love with these characters - because I certainly have!
