Ahead of the UK Digital release of her feature debut BROKEN BIRD on May 7, director Joanne Mitchell looks back at the film’s journey from shooting in Serbia, screening at FrightFest and finally reaching US theatre audiences.
Q) The film has not played in any US festivals, so the film’s US theatrical run from April 24 will be the first time stateside audiences get to see it. What do you imagine the reception will be?
Well, you never really know how a film will be received until it’s in front of an audience, I felt the same when it premiered here in the UK too, where it was, thankfully ,well received. Although it’s a very British movie, sitting within the horror genre, I feel confident about the strength of the story and its emotional pull. It has a gothic, macabre tone with moments of dark humour, which I think US audiences will find distinctive rather than alienating. Ultimately, I would like audiences to be entertained, unsettled and emotionally affected in equal measure.
Q) Broken Bird delves into the subject of necromancy. How were you first drawn to the subject?
I wasn’t drawn to necromancy as a subject in itself. What interested me was the experience of losing someone very close and the difficult ways people struggle - or fail - to let go. Necromancy became a way of externalising that emotional state. When we’re grieving, especially when the loss is unresolved, there’s often a desire to keep someone present, to refuse the finality of it. It’s hard and the struggle can last for years or a lifetime. In Broken Bird, that impulse is expressed through something darker and more literal.
Q) Given the taboo nature of the subject, were there any times when you felt you had to be more restrained, less graphic?
The film sits within the horror genre, and I think because of that one can pretty much go anywhere. However, it was never my intention for it to be shocking for the sake of it. Everything that was written, especially with the more unrestrained and graphic elements were all based in truth, that truth being from Sybil’s point of view, however warped. Everything came from her reality and imagination. I think Rebecca plays the part with such honesty and nuance, the audience can’t help but feel engaged and be taken on her dark journey.
Q) Sybil, your damaged protagonist, is played brilliantly by Rebecca Calder. Take us through the casting process.
We also had a wonderful casting director, Des Hamilton. He brought an array of great actresses to my attention, and we initially started with self-tapes. In an ideal world I’d have liked to have met all the actors in the flesh, but there wasn’t time for me to fly back to London within that pre-production period. So, I watched many self tapes and interviewed a handful over zoom. When I watched Rebecca’s tape I had a visceral feeling. I physically felt myself leaning into the screen. She had this amazing, enigmatic quality that stuck with me, I kept watching her tape over and over. And the fact that she used a Northeast accent won it for me.
Q) The film has a very British sensibility. So how challenging was it shooting the entire film in Serbia?
To be honest, before I went out there I wasn’t sure what I was walking into. I thought Serbia would be a million miles away from the Northern England landscape where I had envisaged it visually. However, as I started the recce my mind and eyes were pleasantly opened. For example, I realised I was never going to find an authentic Yorkshire pub in Belgrade, so I re-wrote the poetry night scenes into a kind of pretentious poetry bar/open mic location. Which I felt actually worked better. Once I started opening my mindset and being less fixated I could adapt my way of thinking.
Q) What cinematic influences did you draw on?
I think a lot of the influences are probably subconscious, but I’m drawn to filmmakers who balance emotional truth with heightened atmosphere. I admire filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro who find beauty and lyricism within darkness and also Hitchcock’s gothic psychological sensibility. More contemporary films like Saint Maud also resonate - they all place character at the centre while allowing something unsettling to grow around them. That balance felt important to me when co-writing and directing Broken Bird.
Q) Although there is a gripping tension throughout the film, Broken Bird exudes pitch-perfect black humour. Some might say a ‘grave humour’. What was the thought process in establishing the film's tone
The writing is key, particularly for the characters and their individual arcs. A lot of the tonal balance comes from seeing the world through Sybil’s eyes. Her perspective isn’t entirely ’normal’ and that gave me permission to play with tone in a way that felt truthful rather than flippant. Her fantasies allowed for those moments of playful imagination and the darker ‘grave humour’. I was also interested in playing with the light and dark themes, the warmth and the cold, in tone and colour. The funeral parlour, for example, has a strange warmth to it, contrasting to the clinical coldness of the mortuary. I think this also plays out with the contrasting characters particularly between Sybil and Mr Thomas, which both Rebecca Calder and James Fleet played so thoughtfully and beautifully throughout.
Q) With Broken Bird being your directorial feature debut how do you look back on the experience and the journey you and the film have been on?
It has been quite a journey. I have learnt so much. I am very proud of the film, but I certainly could not have done it without the amazing cast, crew and production team. It was a huge task, but the cast and crew were so efficient and passionate that it made it all a joyful experience. I loved the post production side too, working alongside my editor, colourist, composer, VFX and sound team, and of course my producer who was there to support throughout, Zoe Stewart. I also must say it was a huge highlight for everyone, for the movie to open London’s Frightfest Film Festival screening to an audience of around 800 people. I shall treasure that experience. I’m also really excited for US audiences to finally experience the movie when it opens theatrically on April 24th, 2026.
BROKEN BIRD is now out in US cinemas and will be available to rent or buy in the UK via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google TV from May 7, 2026
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