Emily Mortimer on The Bookshop and Indie Films

In her new film, The Bookshop, Emily Mortimer stars as a middle-aged widow opening a bookshop in 1959 English coastal town. She tells us how, on screen and behind the scenes, things are rarely as straightforward as they seem.

In The Bookshop, Mortimer's character faces off against the establishment, led by the lady of the manor played by Patricia Clarkson. This is the fourth movie that the two have done together, and it was Clarkson who wrote to Mortimer and encouraged her to do this film.

Speaking of the director, Isabel Coixet, and the process of moviemaking, Mortimer draws parallels between The Bookshop's story and the challenge of getting an independent film made. 

“It’s an act of great courage and determination to try to make a film.” - Emily Mortimer