The ‘unromantic’ comedy, which was partially filmed on location in the North East of England, opens nationally in cinemas on Friday (19th June).

The new movie, which is winning rave reviews, is an adaptation of Virgina Woolf’s 1919 novel and tells the story of passionate astronomer Katharine Hilbery who does everything she can to avoid romantic love and marriage. The story is set against the backdrop of London and Cambridge in 1910, advances in science and technology, the suffragette movement and crumbling Edwardian patriarchy.

The star-studded cast includes Hayley Bennet as Katharine, and also features British actors Jack Whitehall, Jennifer Saunders, Timothy Spall and Lily Allen.

It was filmed around the North East in locations including, Beamish, the Lit & Phil, the Mining Institute and Ryhope Engines Museum in Sunderland. 

Bringing Virginia Woolf to life

A BAFTA nominated director, Dr Gharavi is a Reader in Screenwriting and Film in Newcastle University’s School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics.

She said: “Recreating Edwardian London and bringing Virginia Woolf to life is an extraordinary dream. I have always wanted to tell stories about women who resist the roles imposed on them, and Woolf understood that impulse better than almost any writer. The question at the heart of this film — must a woman choose between love and ambition? — is as alive today as it was in 1910.

“Virginia Woolf was a Modernist. She was always thinking about how society was evolving and how differently to tell stories. So, it made sense to make a film that was perhaps more radical in the way that it told its tale. Hopefully, you'll see that when you watch the movie, there's efforts to be more conceptually experimental in the story.”

The future

She is now working on preparations for her next project, a biopic of the influential Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad, which is being executive produced by acclaimed director Wes Anderson.

Dr Gharavi is an award-winning, Iranian-born, British American artist, director and screenwriter, best-known for telling innovative cross-platform stories about misfits, outsiders and rebels, as well as people in extraordinary situations. She is also known for her interactive digital projects and museum exhibitions that have toured internationally and are housed in permanent collections at institutions such as the BFI and MIT.

Read more about Dr Gharavi's work at Newcastle University and directing a star-studded cast in a full interview with Dr Gharavi


Photo credits: Bridge + Tunnel (train and photo seated) and M Pinder (behind camera and photo with Timothy Spall)