The Courier was given an exclusive sneak peek of the unreleased trailer for Night and Day. North East audiences can look forward to seeing some familiar local landmarks featured in the film, including Beamish Museum, Trinity House, and the Lit and Phil Library.
Although Night and Day was modern for its time, Gharavi seeks to adapt it in a way that feels both resonant and relevant to contemporary audiences. She explained, “This is not a straight adaptation of the book... We took a lot of liberties with it because, though Woolf was ahead of her time, she didn’t write about themes like a queer love story or race.”
Set in Edwardian England at the dawn of the 20th century, the story follows two women—Bennett as aspiring astronomer Katharine Hilbery, and Allen as the bold suffragette Mary Datchet—as they navigate love, marriage, and personal freedom against the backdrop of the suffragette movement and a crumbling patriarchy.
“We’ve adapted it in a way so that we can try to subvert some of the archetypes that have been set up in British period dramas which are mostly through a male and a white supremacist lens but I think the audience will enjoy the depth and richness of interesting actors in interesting roles."
Gharavi teaches Screenwriting & Film part-time at Newcastle University. She provided university students and graduates with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience by working behind the scenes throughout the six-week shoot. One student was even offered a role as the director’s assistant, marking her first job in the industry.
When asked about the importance of supporting young professionals in the industry, Gharavi said, “Getting that first job is always the hardest—it’s about getting your foot in the door. But once you do, it becomes so much easier to secure other opportunities because you have references and experience.”
“There’s many different moving parts involved in the machinery of making movies, so I think it’s important to be able to see that and figure it out. That’s one of the good things that I keep trying to get the university to have some ownership of.”
Gharavi suggested that it was “great locations like Beamish” that helped persuade producers to film in the North East. She added, “The North has these incredible resources. Hopefully, through the film, it will pique people's curiosity about where it was made and what these locations look like.”
Filming took place over six weeks, with five of those weeks spent in the North East. Night and Day is expected to hopefully premiere in Toronto at the end of September.