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Mike joins us to discuss his new film Peterloo. It’s a historical drama set in Manchester, in the Northern part of England. Leigh’s hometown. It tells the story of the Peterloo Massacre. If you’re rusty on your English history, here’s a refresher: The Peterloo Massacre took place in 1819. The UK was still recovering from a lengthy war against Napoleon and his allies. The economy faltered, hitting England’s North especially hard.
People were asking for change. Demanding it. And on August 16 that year, they took to the streets for a demonstration. When British authorities tried to arrest one of the speakers, things spiraled out of control quickly. 18 people were killed. Hundreds more injured. Among the dead were women and children.
Mike tells us how he values finding emotional truth in historical films – even if it means fast-forwarding a year or two. Or four.
Peterloo is in theaters now.
In this episode...
Guests
- Mike Leigh
About the show
Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.
Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.
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