Academy Award-winning actress Kate Winslet has stepped behind the camera for the first time to direct the poignant Christmas drama Goodbye June. The film, which she also stars in and produced, holds deep personal significance as it was penned by her 21-year-old son, Joe Mendes.
A Personal Script That Demanded to Be Made
The project's origins are uniquely familial. Joe Mendes, whose father is director Sam Mendes, wrote the screenplay after being encouraged on a screenwriting course to draw from personal experience. He crafted the story around the loss of his own grandmother when he was just 13 years old.
Winslet, 50, was profoundly moved upon reading her son's work. She immediately knew it had to be made into a film, compelling her to take on the triple role of director, producer, and actress. "When I read it, I said, 'You've written a film and we are going to make it,'" Winslet shared. "I knew I couldn't let it go so now at 50 years old I am a director. It was an extraordinary experience."
Helen Mirren Breaks a Long-Standing Rule
The film's powerful narrative also persuaded screen legend Dame Helen Mirren, 80, to make a rare exception to her own principles. Mirren, who takes the titular role of June, had previously informed Winslet of her firm personal rules: she would not portray characters with dementia or cancer on screen.
However, after Winslet described the project, Mirren asked to read the script. The material was so compelling that the veteran actress chose to break her own rule. Winslet recounted on The Graham Norton Show: "She sent me an email saying she was breaking her own rule because it was such a wonderful project."
Plot Details and Future Projects
Goodbye June centres on four siblings who reunite around their terminally ill mother, June, as her health declines during the festive season. The story explores themes of family, grief, and reconciliation against the backdrop of Christmas.
In other career news, Winslet also discussed her upcoming role in James Cameron's highly anticipated sci-fi sequel, Avatar: Fire and Ash. She reprises her role as Ronal and faced a new physical challenge. "I can't say anything about it, but I do get to hold my breath underwater again and this time I fight underwater too," she revealed. "It was hard and I never quite mastered it."
The full interview with Kate Winslet aired on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 5th December at 10.40pm.
