Armageddon IT: Stephen Fingleton, director/writer of Irish drama The Survivalist talks to Hot Press

For fairly obvious reasons, the vast majority of films set in Northern Ireland tend to be about The Troubles, but not writer/director Stephen Fingleton’s post-apocalyptic drama The Survivalist.
The scarily stark debut feature from the 32-year-old Derryman is set in the wilds of the Ulster countryside in an unspecified year, following the inevitable exhaustion of the planet’s oil supply and subsequent collapse of industrialised society.
“I have an idea of when the film is set,” Fingleton explains, “but I tend not to tell people because I think it’s a bit more frightening if it’s uncertain. I think to some extent even the idea of years isn’t relevant anymore. There’s a complete lack of historical context to the characters and the lives they’re living. It’s set in Northern Ireland, but The Troubles aren’t even a reference point for any of the characters. They probably don’t even remember them in terms of what’s going on.”
The film was shot in just under four weeks in the summer of 2014. The survivalist of the title is played by Belfast actor Martin McCann – previously best known for his convincing turn as U2’s frontman in Nick Hamm’s Killing Bono. A highly paranoid, shotgun-wielding hermit, he farms a small plot of land hidden deep in the countryside, partly fertilised by the decaying bodies of those who have stumbled upon his hideaway and attempted to steal his limited supply of crops.
When a mother and daughter (Olwen Fouéré and Mia Goth) approach his isolated shack in search of food, he initially keeps them at gunpoint. They ultimately agree to trade sex for a meal, but even after they’ve fulfilled their end of the bargain, trust remains shaky at best. It’s only when other dangerous intruders arrive that the bond between the three begins to strengthen.
Fingleton was inspired to write the film after seeing American director Chris Smith’s 2009 film, Collapse. “It’s a documentary that was about Peak Oil Theory – a very plausible account of how industrial society will destroy itself through growth. I was interested in making a film about the choices people will make when industrial society comes to an end – because it will come to an end.”
The first 15 minutes or so of the film feature absolutely no dialogue. “That kind of thing is a risk unless you have an actor of Martin’s tremendous charisma. He’s got a tremendous face, he’s got the ability to communicate a huge point without saying a word. If I didn’t have Martin in the film I don’t think it would have worked, but I trusted his ability to convey the trauma, the needs and the desires of that character without vocalising any of them.”
As stripped down as its title suggests, the film has no soundtrack. And speaking of stripping down, while the three lead actors all appear naked onscreen, the sex scenes are decidedly un-erotic.
Although a first timer, Fingleton handled those nude scenes sensitively. “It’s always difficult shooting scenes in which actors need to be physically intimate with each other because the separation between the characters and themselves becomes a point of negotiation. So each had to respond to each actor’s needs and ultimately do what each of them was prepared to do. Olwen is actually very experienced at playing her body in certain ways for stage productions, and was perhaps the most comfortable, which I thought was interesting because we were really trying to say something in the way we depicted Olwen and her body in the movie.”
Fingleton has been dabbling in the world of film since his early twenties. “Basically I started making short films at university and after that I worked in an office while making guerilla short films and writing scripts. I was just waiting for the right project to pitch it for financing, and that project was The Survivalist.”
He’s undoubtedly talented. Three years ago, his short film SLR – a thriller about a man obsessed with pornography – was shortlisted for an Oscar. Unfortunately, he wasn’t at the ceremony.
“No, you only get there if you are actually nominated,” he sighs. “My friend Michael Lennox was shortlisted, and he was nominated, and he made sure to send me loads of pictures of himself hanging around with celebrities like Bradley Cooper, telling me he wished I was there. That was very nice of him.”
Fingleton may yet get his own back on Lennox. Already a big success on the festival circuit, The Survivalist won awards at Tribeca and Sitges, and has also been nominated for a BAFTA. Meanwhile, he’s already been commissioned by a Hollywood studio to direct a big-budget feature.
“I am working on a science fiction project for a very interesting company in the United States, which is all very top secret at the moment,” he admits. “I can’t say too much, but it will be a multiplex movie presenting a frightening version about what our future is. Not quite as frightening as The Survivalist, perhaps, but one that will scare audiences nonetheless.”
He’s really enjoying the perks of working under contract to a big studio. “Well, this year I’m going to be going back and forth to and from Los Angeles as many times as possible because I’m getting business class flights, which is a fantastic experience,” he laughs. “I’m finding whatever excuse I can to get over there and enjoy them. That film aside, I’m going to be mainly writing and I’m going to be also working with several other writers on projects for me to direct.”
The Survivalist aired on February 12