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PUPIL INTERVIEWS NICOLE KIDMAN AND HUGH BONNEVILLE FOR INTO FILM
A young film enthusiast from Coventry has experienced his very own cinemagic close-up when he interviewed film stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Bonneville about their new film Paddington as part of his role as a junior reporter for Into Film, the nationwide film education charity helps young people learn through and about film and is supported by the BFI with Lottery funding.
11-year-old Dilraj, who attends Edgewick Community Primary School in Coventry, was given this oppornity by beloinging to the Into Film Talent Development programe, which he joined through his schools film club.
The youngster attended a preview screening of the film to help him prepare his questions before heading to the press day for the movie, where he quizzed Oscar-winning actor Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge, The Hours, Grace of Monaco, The Railway Man, The Others, Cold Mountain) and Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville about their roles in the film in the latest adaption of the classic children’s story. The youngster, who also interviewed the film’s young stars Samuel Joslin and Madeleine Harris, quizzed the cast about what it was like filming at the Natural History Museum, doing their own stunts, why we love Paddington and how well they know London train stations!
The excited youngster said of his day; “I did a turn at interviewing which was pretty fun. I felt so confident and it was a really fun day, I really enjoyed it and it was kind of a learning experience as well for me. All the people there were nice and they were telling me about what they did, how they got into film and acting. It has left a big impact on me because not everyone can do this everyday. It helps people get a little bit of inspiration about what you can do out there, and how these actors have come to where they are now. It was just a great bundle of fun and it’s a great kind of experience.”
Speaking about meeting Nicole Kidman, the youngster said; “It was really cool to meet Nicole Kidman, it was kind of amazing how her accent was changed. Her Australian accent is very different to her movie accent that she used which was amazing. It just shows how she can change as well into a different role. I was talking about how I liked her movies and how she played a really good role in the movie. The day was cool, it was amazing, everything was amazing!”
Dilraj’s interviews are hosted on the Into Film network for its membership of schools, colleges, youth groups and young people to view.
Dilraj was given this opportunity through role on the Into Film Talent Development programme, which enables young people with a passion for film to report from film industry events and interact with inspirational people within film whilst still at school – something that is widely regarded by education experts as hugely valuable for raising aspirations and providing information about potential career opportunities. Dilraj applied through being a part of his schools film club.
Into Film is an education charity that seeks to put film at the heart of young people’s learning and promote the use of film as a powerful education resource. Into Film Clubs are FREE for all state funded schools and non-school settings and offer free access to thousands of films and education resources about film and filmmaking for learning through and about film, as well as learning about the film industry and careers within it. Inclusive and accessible for all students regardless of their 
background or ability, film clubs help promote young people’s educational, social, moral, spiritual and cultural development helping schools achieve OFSTED requirements.
Supported by the BFI with Lottery funding, Into Film incorporates the legacy and staff of two leading film education charities, FILMCLUB and First Light, building on their experience and success in delivering programmes of significant scale and reach to children and young people across the UK.