What was the inspiration behind your screenplay?

JW: As Tamar says, this one’s very personal. I’m bisexual, and I know how shocking mental health statistics are for bi men. Being out as a bi man has been so transformative for me so I want to advocate for bi visibility in my work. Couple that with my rural upbringing in North Wales – I wanted to write something from the perspective of people that don’t have the privilege of exposure to diversity that comes with urban life. Then I think it was our shared love for magical realism, like the work of Céline Sciamma, which helped us find our flourish. 

Tamar how much does your background in theatre guide the way you not only approach your role as a film director but as a script editor? 

TS: The rigour of theatre directing and rehearsal gave me my attention to detail, as well as a curiosity for persistent exploration. These skills proved vital on set and beyond. The creative limitations of working with plays (you can’t just transport an audience to a literal place, you have to tell the story well enough that they can imagine it) were also a great training ground for script editing and film directing alike. Theatre founded my core belief that story is everything. Things like structure, character and dialogue have to be exercised extremely hard (Joe will tell you how relentless I am with script notes!) before something can be made – you can have the most beautifully shot film in the world, but without a strong story, it’s wasted. 

How essential is the creative collaboration between you and your DOPs Richard Bell and Joe Ransom, and your editor Tara Dadayan (who you worked with on House Hunters), on creative the look and feel you want for your film?

JW: Well filmmaking is only collaborative. There’s no other way. Co-directors, co-DOPs and co-producers certainly meant loads were shared, but sometimes it also made communication challenging. When we managed to voice those difficulties it often lead to the best creative breakthroughs.

Rich took the lead on creating a visual language for the film. A rule book of sorts that we could fall back on when needing to think on our feet. Joe was the lead cam-operator as he has a fab instinct for movement. It’s all a bit of a dance and together we all found a look for the film that captured the feeling we always imagined.  

Tera has edited all three of my films, and I hope our careers continue to allow us to do this because it is such a precious partnership. I love that her process always starts with character and intent – every decision she makes must be justified, or it’s just cutting for the sake of it. This time she was living abroad which meant editing remotely which forced us all to clearly communicate our thoughts without the ability to just point a finger or physically prompt. I feel like I’ve become a much better director in the edit this time round, and Tera continues to blossom as a wonderfully sensitive editor.

When did composer Sam Rapley come on board? Did you have an idea of what you wanted the music to be?

JW: Sam is also returning after his *chefs-kiss* work on House Hunters. We’ve become friends and have an openness to collaboration now which is crucial. This time I brought Sam in way before shooting. He came up with some sketches we could listen to and really dial in the tone for the film, which ultimately then influenced everything else. Much later, once we’d picture locked, Sam came back in and got to work. 

Scoring is such a delicate art, knowing how much or how little is needed, and ensuring the tone is enhancing the feeling, rather than just telling an audience how to feel. Sam was very patient and never too proud to go back to the drawing board. We experimented lots and eventually I knew Sam had made a break-through when I blubbed like a baby watching the end sequence. The music always unlocks the emotion, and Sam’s work really broke the dam on this one.

TS: We had these early grand ideas of leaning into a much more sci-fi sound. But when we tried it, we knew it wasn’t right. Joe and I were a worried about an over-sentimental score, but Sam gently showed us the power of music to truthfully bring out what’s already there. Monolith is a story about the power of emotional openness, and Sam’s music offers the viewer a kind of permission to really go deep with it.