Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski explore new and familiar terrains in Andrea Arnold's 'Bird'

Record ID: 1817167

  • Title: Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski explore new and familiar terrains in Andrea Arnold's 'Bird'
  • Date: 17th May 2024
  • Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 16, 2024) (REUTERS) "BIRD" FILM TEAM (SCREEN LEFT TO RIGHT) KEOGHAN, ACTORS JASON BUDA AND JASMINE JOBSON, ROGOWSKI, ARNOLD, MUSICIAN CARLOS O'CONNELL, ACTORS NYKIYA ADAMS AND FRANKIE BOX, CASTING AGENT LUCY PARDEE AND CINEMATOGRAPHER ROBBIE RYAN LEAVING THE FILM'S PREMIERE SCREENING AND WALKING DOWN RED CARPET STEPS "BIRD" FILM TEAM ON RED CARPET STEPS
  • Embargoed: 31st May 2024 18:23
  • Keywords: Andrea Arnold Barry Keoghan Bird Cannes Bird film Bird movie Cannes film festival Franz Rogowski
  • Location: CANNES, FRANCE AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • City: CANNES, FRANCE AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe,Film
  • Reuters ID: LVA004322116052024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Does Barry Keoghan have a musical in his future? After dance scenes in his two recent films, including director Andrea Arnold's fresh new Cannes Film Festival entry "Bird," the Irish actor joked that he is on the lookout.
    "Yeah, I'm looking for a musical by the way if there's any out there," Keoghan told Reuters in an interview on Friday (May 17).
    "Bird" stars newcomer Nykiya Adams as 12-year-old Bailey, who is living with her young and checked-out father Bug (Keoghan) in a crumbling squat in Kent, in south-east England.
    To make easy money, Bug imports a toad that sweats hallucinogenic slime, but only if it is relaxed by music.
    In a wry wink at Keoghan's infamous nude dance scene in last year's black comedy "Saltburn," Bug's least favourite song to play for the toad is none other than "Murder On The Dance Floor."
    Keoghan said his boxing background was integral to his dance abilities.
    "I do a lot of boxing, I grew up doing a lot of boxing and so, you know, moving the hips and, you know, letting the body kind of, you know, be free and loose and it's sort of, in my nature," he said.
    The film, Arnold's fourth entry in competition for the festival's top prize after "Red Road," "Fish Tank" and "American Honey," was one of the most challenging for her to film.
    "It was interesting, I had to let go on a big level," said the British director during a news conference on Friday.
    "I was open to sort of doing things differently because the film was telling me things that needed me to work in a different way," said Arnold, without going into detail on the challenges.
    Franz Rogowski, who plays the titular Bird, a strange, free-spirited man who shows up and eventually befriends Bailey, said Arnold's script-free directing style was a new experience.
    "You're very vulnerable and exposed. But you trust her process, and therefore you become family," said Rogowski.
    Keoghan, who could draw on his own experience growing up in Dublin's deprived Summerhill district for the role, found that he and his character did diverge on one aspect in particular: all of Bug's tattoos.
    "I've got ADHD, so sitting still ... I'm like really trying to stay still" during the make-up process, said Keoghan.
    He added: "I kind of considered getting a tattoo after it, not like a scorpion or anything like that, more like a little question mark or something."
    (Production: Christian Levaux, Fedja Grulovic, Hanna Rantala)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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