The Souvenir Part II: On the red carpet with director Joanna Hogg, Honor Swinton Byrne, Harris Dickinson and Jaygann Ayeh at London Film Festival 2021

The Souvenir Part II is the sequel to writer-director Joanna Hogg’s critically acclaimed self-portrait of a young female filmmaker set in 1980s Britain, starring real-life mother and daughter Tilda Swinton and Honor Swinton Byrne. 

We joined Hogg and some of her cast – Swinton Byrne, who stars as Julie, Harris Dickinson (Pete) and Jaygann Ayeh (Marland) – on the red carpet for the UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival 2021. 

The director spoke about the experience of working with both Tilda and Honor Swinton Byrne (“it’s hard to describe”), how Honor’s ability as an actress surprised her despite her lack of prior acting experience and the complex layers of her film-within-a-film.

Honor Swinton Byrne told us was like working with her mother on set, what she’s learnt from her and how she didn’t know what to expect before taking on Hogg’s project: “It was such an adventure to do with Joanna.”

Harris Dickinson, the young breakout star of Eliza Hittman’s Beach Rats, also spoke to us about why Swinton Byrne was so special to work with (“she’s a force of nature”), his excitement about finally getting to see the film and the importance of prioritising mental health over work.

Jaygann Ayeh shared how in fact he wasn’t intimidated by Tilda and Honor Swinton, being a huge fan of Joanna Hogg’s, and what audiences can expect from part II of the story: “It’s like a flower blooming.”

Sarah Bradbury
Videos: Marta Starczynowska

The Souvenir Part II does not have a UK release date yet. 

Read more reviews and interviews from our London Film Festival 2021 coverage here.

For further information about the festival visit the official BFI website here.

Watch the trailer for The Souvenir Part II here: