“H Is for Hawk” is for the birds. And such majestic creatures they’re, holding their very own reverse the magnificent Claire Foy (“All of Us Strangers”).
The movie, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe and based mostly on Helen Macdonald’s memoir, facilities on Foy’s character Helen, devastated by the sudden lack of her father (performed by Brendan Gleeson). In her grief, she turns to a childhood curiosity, falconry, and buys a goshawk. The wilder the chicken, the tamer the title; Helen calls her Mabel.
Producer Dede Gardner and Lowthorpe had labored with Foy earlier than (in “Girls Speaking” and “The Crown,” respectively) and agreed she’d be excellent as Helen. However Mabel was one other story fully.
Lowthorpe tapped Lloyd and Rose Buck, married chicken specialists who had labored for many years on pure historical past documentaries with the likes of David Attenborough. Since they have been conveniently positioned not removed from her dwelling in Bristol, England, the three bought collectively to determine the best way to make the movie work.
5 birds have been wanted to play the character of Mabel at completely different factors; the primary two must be raised and educated by the couple lengthy earlier than filming started. Sisters Mabel 1 and Mabel 2 had the majority of the work. “They’re from the identical clutch, however they’re like chalk and cheese in character,” says Lloyd. “Mabel 2 is far shier and has extra wildness in her,” so she was used within the nervous chicken scenes early on. Mabel 1 was used to fly to and from Foy’s glove, and for a lot of the motion depicting Helen cohabiting with Mabel in her home.
Jess, on mortgage from a buddy in Scotland with a falconry middle, was accustomed to individuals, so she was featured in Mabel’s calmest moments. Juha, the one male and far smaller than the females, was seen solely in excessive aerial photographs. And Lottie starred within the looking scenes, touring as much as 45 miles an hour via the woods to seize her prey.
Earlier than filming was set to start, Foy visited the Bucks for 2 weeks of intensive falconry coaching. “That was an important second for the entire challenge, as a result of until they’ve taken to Claire and he or she’s taken to them, I don’t assume it might ever have labored,” Lloyd says. “However as a result of she was so superb, it really works. She’s , intelligent, clever, however above all she’s only a pretty particular person, and that’s what they see. You possibly can’t idiot them, they’re not foolish; they will see if somebody’s pretending to love them however they don’t actually.”
Foy was delighted to work with the birds and with the Bucks. “They’re extremely form individuals,” she says. “They’re so tender and so stunning with their birds, and due to this fact they’re with different human beings as effectively. But additionally they only threw me in. On the finish of the primary day I used to be with Lottie looking, letting her launch off my arm. Studying with the birds was the final piece of the puzzle of Helen and the expertise I used to be going to have, so it turned a very profound expertise.”
“Claire put her coronary heart and soul into that coaching,” Lowthorpe says. “She has nice bodily instincts in addition to emotional instincts.”
Every little thing on set revolved across the hawks’ well-being. Filming passed off between October and January, to keep away from molting season. Everybody within the crew wore drab, darkish colours, as a result of that’s what the birds have been used to. Microphones have been hidden as a result of the birds didn’t like booms, and a lot of the crew hid upstairs; even Lowthorpe hid behind a chunk of furnishings together with her monitor. Lloyd or Rose would both hood or take away the scene’s Mabel, and provides the all-clear, earlier than the crew might reappear to work between takes.
“I advised Charlotte Bruus Christensen, our improbable DP, we should always simply movie every little thing,” Lowthorpe recollects. “When you pin it you may kill the flavour of hazard or shock. Claire was so in tune in these scenes, she was capable of react in an improvisational means, and he or she could be in her character always throughout these lengthy, lengthy takes. Like I used to be capturing the hawks, I used to be capturing Claire, permitting her to maneuver wherever she wished.”
“It wasn’t like having one other actor who had one other agenda or actions or a perspective that they wished to get throughout within the scene,” Foy says. “I used to be alongside for the trip with these animals.”
When Helen takes Mabel for her first stroll round the home, she talks gently to her. “That is my kitchen,” she says. Mabel flaps her wings wildly. “It’s not that unhealthy.” The chicken poops. “Oh, thanks very a lot.”
Mabel turns into each salvation and habit to Helen. “To really feel that alive, chasing a goshawk because it’s looking, you’re a part of this extraordinary expertise, which feels religious and significant,” Foy explains. “I do assume that we attempt to keep away from the ugliness of grief in any respect prices, like that’s one thing you’re alleged to do alone in a cabinet that isn’t witnessed. We simply are so afraid of that expression of it. The journey with Mabel is essentially the most vivid expression of that have.”
Again dwelling in London, Foy says she intends to go to the Mabels. “Everytime you drive on the motorway within the U.Okay., you’ve birds of prey all over the place, and now I can establish them,” she says. “I see them all over the place I am going. There’s an owl out the again of my home. I really feel like I’m continually trying upwards now.”
