This is week my guest is Desiree Akhavan!
Desiree’s first feature film was 2014’s APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR, in which she also starred. It came off the back of a web series she made in 2010 called The Slope, with fellow NYU postgrad film student Ingrid Jungermann.
After Appropriate Behaviour, Desiree had a guest spot on the TV show Girls, and also began adapting the book THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, alongside her co-writer and producer Cecilia Frugiuele. The film, which Desiree also directed, would star Chloe Grace Moretz and Sasha Lane and went on to win the Sundance Dramatic Grand Jury Prize in 2018.
Around the same time, Desiree also created, wrote and directed a brilliant 6-part TV show for Channel 4 called THE BISEXUAL, starring Maxine Peake, Brian Gleeson, Naomi Ackie and Desiree herself and all set in London.
Since 2018 Desiree has been working on a very personal project which we talk about, as well directing episodes of many brilliant TV shows, including RAMY, HACKS and TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
We talk about a lot, and if you’ve ever read an interview with Desiree you know she’s very good at cutting through the bullshit and this is no exception. We dig into how the past five years have seen her working at a different pace and why that is, we talk about the moments after success and the expectations that were placed on her career, we talk about what it actually means or requires to direct an episode of TV, finding a soulmate in her creative partner Cecilia and why learning and having fun is at the centre of everything she does…
#99: Sophie Littman, Filmmaker
#98: Akua Gyamfi, Founder of The British Blacklist
#97: Nia Childs, Creative Producer, Curator & Filmmaker
#96: Siobhán Harper-Ryan, Hair & Make-Up Designer
#95: Sam Joly, Head of Marketing & Publicity at See-Saw Films
Bonus minisode: Liz Garbus, Filmmaker
#94: Anna Godas, CEO of Dogwoof
#93: Jemma Desai, Writer, Researcher & Curator
#92: Cathy Brady, Filmmaker
#91: Molly Manning-Walker, Cinematographer & Writer-Director
#90: Prano Bailey-Bond, Filmmaker
#89: Mandy Chang, Head of BBC Storyville
#88: T A P E collective (Angie Moneke, Isra Al Kassi & Nellie Alston)
#87: Lisa Scoppa, Set Decorator
#86: Rachael Tate, Dialogue & ADR Editor
#85: Kat Buckle, Talent Agent
#84: Tara Judah, Critic & curator
#83: Mariayah Kaderbhai, Head of Programmes at BAFTA
#82: Mika Watkins, Screenwriter
#81: Melanie Hoyes, Industry Inclusion Executive at the BFI
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Toon’d In! with Jim Cummings
The Sackhoff Show
Team Deakins
You Can’t Make This Up
Phase Zero