#sir ken branagh asked him if he will do it and he said yes | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

brian-in-finance · 3 years ago

Text

Awards Watch

Very few films this year will spark as much joy as Sir Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast. A true love letter to Branagh’s hometown took a village of dedicated cast and crew members to bring this story to life. One crucial piece to this puzzle was frequent collaborator and editor Úna Ní Dhonghaíle. The award winning editor first met Branagh in 2009 on BBC’s Wallander and would later work together on his 2018 film All is True and upcoming Death on the Nile.

The two have created an almost effortless partnership that is on full display in Belfast. From opening to closing shot, Dhonghaíle’s edit seamlessly weaves in, out and around the neighborhood where Buddy and his family live. She is able to perfectly capture the tension of the riots, intimate moments of love and timeless adventure.

Dhonghaíle has been nominated four times for the BAFTA Award. Her one win comes for 2017’s Three Girls. She has also been nominated eight times for the Irish Film and Television Awards. Her three wins come from Misbehaviour, Three Girls, The Invisible Man.

Belfast stars stars Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, and Jude Hill.

It premiered in September at the Telluride Film Festival and won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival just weeks later. It will be released theatrically on Friday, November 12.

I was able to speak with Dhonghaíle after Belfast screened at the Dallas International Film Festival in October. We chatted about how quickly the film came together, working during COVID, her own relationship to Belfast and going all in for Ken.

Jackson Vickery: Where did you first meet Kenneth Branagh?

Úna Ní Dhonghaíle: I edited Wallander, the BBC drama, and Ken was the lead and one of the producers. I did the first series back in 2009 and then I did the finale. I met him as an actor, but he was one of our producers and I think that’s how I may have come to his attention, But, Jackson, he might have to confirm this, because this is only me. I’ve never asked him how he actually came to ask me to work with him, but I think this is why. I was afraid to ask him, in case he just said, his usual editor wasn’t available or something horrible.

But on Wallander, I assembled episodes two and three. They were the finale. And we set ourselves a challenge. The producer convinced me to just say, “Could we pull them together as one film? And could it possibly be a film?” Because it was such a beautiful performance. And I did that. So I think that’s how I came to his attention, but I don’t know. That’s where I first met him.

JV: If I ever get the chance to talk to him, I will ask him that question. So how were you approached for the project?

UND: Ken asked me to edit his personal film, All Is True, in 2018. So 2018 was a very productive year for me, because I finished Stan & Ollie and I was assembling six episodes of Les Miserables. I edited episode one and two, but I assembled all six for the first 10 weeks of the shoot. And then I took a hiatus to do an independent film, Rosie. Basically, I did three feature films and one TV show in 2018. And one of the feature films was All Is True.

And from All Is True, I then joined him on Death on the Nile. And we were finishing Death on the Nile, when he said to me he had a script that he had been writing during lockdown, and if I would like to join him on it. I read the script and I was immediately emailing him to say it was the most magnificent love letter to Belfast, to the city of his birth, to his beautiful family and to that community of neighbors of all persuasions who lived so peacefully in Northern Ireland prior to The Troubles. I just was immediately captivated and wanted to join him and said, “Yes, please.”

JV: No hesitation?

UND: No hesitation. My dad is from Northern Ireland. I’m from Dublin. So I’m technically from the Republic of Ireland, but my dad always spoke about great friendships between Protestants and Catholics as I was growing up as a child. My granny is from the north and my uncles and everyone’s from the north. When I used to travel up there, of course, during the ’70s and ’80s and ’90s, there was a border. I was very aware of the complexity of Northern Ireland, but I was also aware of the great friendships that existed. It was one of the things that I often said prior to even meeting Ken – we never had a film that actually celebrated love and friendship, because so many films focused on The Troubles, which all came later. So really, as soon as I read the script, I just knew this was sort of beating the same drum that I’d been beating myself. I just knew I was privileged to be asked to join him as the editor.

JV: I love that. I absolutely love that. So what were the early conversations that you had in regards to the film?

UND: You know what, Jackson. It was so fast because we were editing Death on the Nile. And while we were editing “Death on the Nile”, Ken was actually writing “Belfast”. I read the script, I think in June. And very quickly, we were mixing “Death on the Nile”, and then we went straight into shooting Belfast. So it was beautiful. His script was beautiful. It’s incredible that he wrote it, but he obviously had decades of thinking about it. But I’ll tell you what I really liked about what he’s done, he’s actually captured the vernacular of the people, how people speak, because you can hear it.

He’s just absorbed whatever turn of phrase his parents had and his grandparents had, he’s captured it. Because so many of us, even non-Irish people, you can recognize yourself in there. You can recognize your grandparents in there, if you had lovely grandparents like that, who were able to tell a story or recite a poem or sing a song to emphasize the point. And I think his script was so brilliant that we shot it. And then in the cutting room, Ken and I restructured. That’s where we had some restructuring to do with the story.

JV: How involved was he in the editing process? Because I mean, it must’ve been somewhat daunting to tackle such a personal project to him. I mean, I can only imagine how involved he wanted to be in that.

UND: Yeah, he was great actually, because it was so personal. And because I think he knew that all of us who worked on this film, we got it. We wanted to do it, we wanted to do justice for him, for his parents, for his grandparents. And I was even saying to him, I was really sorry that his parents aren’t alive to see it. They would be so proud of him. And his brother and his sister, his family, his wife are obviously proud of him.

We were all behind him. But he also is a very gracious man. And because he knows his own worth and he knew he wrote something brilliant, but he also had lived it. Then he’s very open. If he’s going to collaborate with you as his editor or cinematographer, he invites collaboration.

So it was really good actually. And the real thing, I think, that myself and Ken should probably give ourselves a mutual pat on the back, we did all of this through lockdown.The first two weeks of the shoot, we were together. And we were finishing off a few things, and I was assembling at night. And then I came back to Dublin because COVID didn’t allow we stay in the studios. The studios were closing down. So I have my suite here at home in Dublin. So I came home, and then we did the entire edit remotely. So we put an Avid [editing tool] into Ken’s house. My assistants are in London. I was here. There was Avid attached to a beautiful big screening room, so he could look on the big screen. And I could basically email my cuts over. We have matching drives in every household. And then Ken could either just hit the space bar himself and watch it, or the assistant could team view in, set it up and play it for him.

And then we were on the phone every day. We were just talking. And if there was some ideas that we had, I could send Ken option one, option two, option three. He was brilliant because he was able to look at them, discuss them very frankly, and then we’d try what I had to put them in. And it was great.

It’s crazy. I think when you work with someone who is confident, they really encourage you to collaborate. The worst thing I could have done is to cut something together, not think that it worked and just think that the flow wasn’t right, and not say anything. I owed it to Ken to be vocal.

JV: It seems like you two have your own language that you two can speak together. So I think that’s beautiful. And to have a collaboration and a partnership like that is, I mean the best way to do it.

UND: Yeah. I love working with Ken. And I’ll tell you why I love working with him as well, because we agree with so much, but we also challenge each other nicely. Even though obviously he’s the director, he could have the final say. But we’re both good at sort of challenging each other. And actually, Ken’s brilliant. If he isn’t too sure, he’ll think about it. And he might come back two or three days later and say, “Okay, let’s look at that again. Or maybe there is something in there.” And he’s got a brilliant memory. So if we had gone through things and I was sort of saying to him, “Do you remember this?” He remembered it. And that was really good. Because sometimes with other directors, they might not know the material so well, so you’d have to keep sending clips and options.

JV: I wanted to dive into a couple of scenes that really just stood out to me. The first one being the opening. How did you approach that cut? Because the way that it transitioned from color into black and white. I’m so curious about what you did with that scene and what the conversations around it were like and what the edit editing process looks like there.

UND: So that was really good, actually. Ken had gone to Belfast, and he had shot modern day Belfast with the cinematographer, using just ordinary cameras, even sometimes phones. And I had cut that together with the Van Morrison tracks. The two things that Ken always had in his script were the Van Morrison songs at the beginning of the film and the end of the film. That was actually scripted. And he also had the transition of modern color going over the wall to black and white. That was scripted. And that at the end, came back to color.

I cut together the phone footage first, because there was also a voiceover, there was an interview. There were other elements with those images. So I cut those prior to principal photography beginning, so that Ken and I could sort of work it out.

Very quickly we realized, the voiceover wasn’t working in conjunction with Van Morrison. So we had the voiceover with just the score and then Van Morrison. And very rapidly, I think even before he began principal photography, we changed that. And we just went for imagery of modern day Belfast with Van Morrison, and then going over the walls. We sort of configured the opening prior to the official shoot beginning, using the film. And then we had a team who went out there to film. So Ken was able to show them what we had cut together, using this phone footage and camera footage from himself and Harris the DOP.

They were able to offer new ideas and also emulate what we had done. So it was really exciting. And then coming to the street, I mean, it was just beautiful, because Jim Clay, our production designer had done such a great street, a real street that the camera could just go down. And it took us a while I think, to just get that opening right, but it looks really good. I think it feels right. And it feels like a tribute, again, because Belfast now is a very different city. And I think Ken wants to show that. And he wants to look at modern day Belfast with an eye of not just showing you the ordinary stuff. Normally, you see the murals and the remnants of the violence, and he wants to show it with a fresh eye.

JV: The cut was just so clean, and it felt so organic and just like you’re being welcomed into this neighborhood.

UND: It had to feel joyous. That was the big thing. So when we have the voiceover, as well as that, there was actually too much going on. So I think once we went just with Van Morrison, it meant that we could build to the moments when the child hears that sound and that the camera rotates around him. So that’s sort of one movement, to have the child witnessing this sort of out of focus gathering of people that then escalates into a riot, a horrific riot.

JV: I did want to speak about sort of one of the rioting scenes, but it’s at the end of the film, where Buddy and his mom are going to the store to return the item that he took. And then they’re going back out into the street again, and they’re confronted on sort of both sides. Can you talk me through that?

UND: I think the secret was always keeping the subjective point of view of the child’s life, even when we were going to other characters. So that things happened and you experienced them as the family sort of experienced them. It has happened obviously in the north and in any sort of war-torn country or anywhere, where there’s a riot. Suddenly those police, they swoop down and it’s quite frightening. But also, I think Ken wanted to have an eye to the imagination of the child. We blur a little bit, where we go to something with High Noon, which is the expression of where he saw his father as the goodie and the John Wayne character, and he saw the other guy as the baddie. And there was echoes of the Western coming into this lawless city.

So we were always moving a fine line, I think, through sort of painterly remembrance, social realism, and also allowing the imagination of the child, but for us as an audience to experience through his eyes. So that scene, we didn’t have extensive footage, so I had to cut a lot of footage. If you ever watch it again, you might see some extra shots flipped and things. So we built it up to make it really resonate for the audience of just this moment for his father to step up and be the hero in the child’s eyes. Nobody is at blame really, because it’s just a situation of intolerance. And the guy who’s saying, “It’s our town now,” it was better to see him through the eyes of High Noon, I think, and just not get too deep into what came next. I think staying with the point of view of the child allows us to do that.

JV: That’s beautiful. Were there any challenges besides the COVID aspects on the project?

UND: No, it was a smaller budget film and a tight schedule, so that was a challenge, but it was so beautifully written. And as I say, we all had such good will, and Ken was leading the way for all of us. Someone who’s really good and visionary at the top, actually just inspires you all to do something really good. And so many of our friends were on productions that had shut down. So I really felt quite blessed to be able to continue to work and to be working on a film like “Belfast”. It was a real blessing for all of us. And I think the challenge, a good challenge, from a storytelling point of view that Ken and I, was just how to keep that pace and energy alive when some of the scenes were shot in one or two cameras.

There was a sort of statuesque beauty in those wide shots, where he had depth of field. So we had Granny at the very back say, and Ciarán Hinds and Buddy in the foreground, and it was just held. And there were many of those scenes, but he used a beautiful composition to tell the story with the three planes.

But as an editor, too many of those in a row, if they’re all equally the same length, can bring sort of a steadiness to the pace, which doesn’t allow you that visceral experience. So I think that’s the thing that myself and Ken were very mindful of. We just kept watching structure and where we should move things, or how we could use the Van Morrison music, or using the sound to become more lyrical or to push the story forward, so that you never felt that we were just in a series of tableaus. It had to feel organic and have movements through it. So I think as an editor, that was my challenge, but it was a good challenge.

JV: And where did you see the film first?

UND: Ken had very kindly decided that we should do a few little discreet COVID-safe test audience screenings in London, Dublin, and Belfast. So we had Van Morrison see it up in Belfast, and I hosted a small test audience screening in Dublin. And then whenever we were mixing again, very kindly, they were mixing in Twickenham and sending me the files, sound files. And I was able to review the mix on this exact same day, just like a little bit later than them in Dublin as well.

Myself and Ken were able to talk through anything that was happening in the mix. So we were sort of all watching it in different cinemas or sound mixing theaters in Dublin and London.

That was great. I mean, that’s a great gift to be able to do that, that he could be mixing, and I could be looking at the mix that they’re mixing in a different country. It’s really a gift as an editor. We’re quite good in the mix, I think, editors. We’re always good in the mix, because we know the sound so well.

JV: What was the biggest takeaway from the project for you?

UND: The biggest takeaway is just, I’ve so much respect for Ken that he managed to write it during lockdown and that he managed to shoot it during lockdown. And thus he was able to, I think, pay tribute to the community of Northern Ireland. I really hope that the Belfast people love the film, everyone, all sides. I think that’s my biggest coming away. I just think he did really good. He’s done himself proud. He’s done his family proud. He’s done us proud, and it’s just a real honor to be associated with the film, because I just think it’s a wonderful thing. If any of us were able to make a film and pay tribute to our parents and our grandparents like that, I think that’s a very to blessed place to be.

Another interview with Úna ⬇️

Remember… we never had a film that actually celebrated love and friendship, because so many films focused on The Troubles. — Úna Ní Dhonghaíle

#Tait rhymes with hat #Good times #Belfast #Editing #Awards Watch #ibc.org #8 November 2021 #In cinemas 12 November 2021 #Canada & USA #In cinemas 21 January 2022 UK & Ireland #Worldwide 2022 #Twitter

9 notes · View notes

emulateharry · 7 years ago

Text

story of my life: Dunkirk Extra

“I’m going to miss you,” Kacey whispered against Harry’s chest as hd her close.

“I’m going to miss you, too but it’s not for long and I won’t be too far away. Maybe I can come home one weekend,” he replied, stroking her hair.

Harry felt Kacey shudder slightly and heard a soft sob.

“I feel like I just got you back and now I’m losing you again!” she wailed.

She was trying to be calm. She really didn’t want to make this harder than it already was but she couldn’t hold back the tears. Kacey had known he was scheduled to leave for Dunkerque to film the movie. She knew it was a tremendous opportunity for him and that he had worked hard to win the role. Harry was excited about the part and had been preparing for weeks. He had even cut his hair, capturing the whole thing on film, moving and still, for a documentary and a magazine layout. Kacey knew all that but it didn’t make it any easier for her to say goodbye to him.

Taking a deep breath, she swallowed hard and tried to compose herself. She looked up at Harry, staring at his face as if to memorize his features. He smiled at her and gently thumbed her tears away before bending to place a kiss on her trembling lips.

“I love you, Kassidy. I won’t be gone long, I promise,” he said. “I have to go now baby or I’ll miss the train.”

Kacey struggled to put on her brave face and force a small smile to her lips. She managed, but only just.

“I love you, Harry. Be safe and please let me know when you get there.”

“Always, baby.”

With a last soft kiss, he picked up his bag and headed out to the car where Andy was holding the door open for him. * Kacey headed straight to the small gym at the back of the house. She popped in her earbuds and turned on the treadmill, determined to ‘exercise’ her demons away. Her brain kept a running commentary over the sound of her One Direction playlist as she walked briskly.

‘You knew he had to leave. Why did you make it harder than it had to be?’

‘It’s a Christopher Nolan film for goodness sake, not an episode of some cheesy TV series.’

‘You’re supposed to be supportive. Get a grip!’

Her phone buzzed insistently, interrupting the mental diatribe. It was a text from Harry.

“Hey baby. I’m on the train. I love you.”

She smiled and sent a response. She could do this. She had plenty to keep her busy while he was gone. She had wanted to go with him but, while he didn’t say no, she knew he was worried that she might distract him. He was nervous, and she did not want to make it worse. It wasn’t even going to be that long but it was their first separation since the attack. Kacey wasn’t really afraid to be home alone, she just wanted to be with Harry. He was her happy place.

Finishing up her workout, she turned off the treadmill before heading to the kitchen for a bottle of water. Sipping slowly while looking out the window at the rare sunshine, she decided to sit outside for a bit at the table in the courtyard. Snagging her laptop from the desk in the sitting room, she headed out the doors.

Kacey sat on a chaise longue next to the fountain. The sun, warm on her face, invited her to nap and she closed her computer, placing it on the table.

* Harry was feeling good. The filming was going well and they had just completed some difficult scenes before breaking for a three-day weekend. He planned to do a lot of sleeping, relaxing and studying his lines over the next few days. He hadn’t spoken with Kacey the last several days. She had some week-long writer’s event in Scotland that she was attending. She had, apparently, agreed to be the guest speaker some months ago otherwise he would have asked her to come to France and visit him. He was disappointed but he understood; they both had obligations.

This evening he was having dinner with Aneurin, Fionn, Tom, and Ken Branagh at Ken’s invitation. They walked into Le Table de Cha’ to be greeted by the host and owner. Harry had eaten there several times since he had been in Dunkirk but this was the first chance he’d had to talk with Ken. They had no scenes together and only had time to exchange simple pleasantries as they passed each other on the set. Sir Kenneth was a legend and Harry was looking forward to this dinner.

The host showed them to a table in a small private room in the restaurant. He handed them the menus and went off to alert the waitress that they had arrived.

Harry was listening intently to a story that Ken was telling about working on Harry Potter when the waitress bustled in. She was a middle aged woman with dark brown hair pulled into a bun and a lively smile. In rough English she introduced herself as Amelie before explaining that she was training a new girl who would be taking their dinner orders, if they didn’t mind. All four replied that of course they didn’t and turned back to their conversation as she left.

Amelie returned to serve the bread and the first bottle of wine then quietly left the room. They had almost finished the first glass when the waitress returned with her trainee in tow. Amelie introduced her as Giselle and informed them that while the young woman spoke little English she would be happy to translate if necessary. Fionn, Aneurin, and Tom were looking at Giselle, entranced, while Harry and Ken were sitting with their backs to her. Harry was engrossed with his menu as she began to speak.

Harry was listening carefully to Giselle’s mellifluous voice and working to translate what she was saying as he continued to peruse the menu. He glanced up to see Fionn and Aneurin staring at her, mouths slightly agape. He was about to turn around to look when her words came from very close behind him. She was relating the evening’s dessert, a ‘chocolat religieuse avec ganache et crème’, which sounded positively seductive in her accent. Harry shifted in his seat. Giselle paused briefly before moving to describe the daily special.

Harry tensed when he felt her hand on his shoulder, his frown reflecting his dismay at the unwelcome touch.

“Le plat du jour, pour Monsieur Harry seulement,” she paused briefly before leaning close to him and finishing “is me.”

Fionn and Aneurin sat blinking in surprise as Ken smiled into his menu. Harry, resigned, turned to Giselle only to see Kacey’s smiling face.

“Surprise.”

He almost knocked his chair over in his haste to stand and pull her into his arms.

“What?? How are you here?” he croaked as he hugged her tightly.

Ken was smiling broadly and Amelie clapped her hands with glee watching the two.

“Took some planning and a lot of work with a dialect coach. Ken helped me maneuver you here.”

Harry looked from one to the other of them with a bemused expression. Suddenly remembering his manners, he introduced Kacey to Fionn, Tom and Aneurin. She greeted them then turned to hug Amelie before taking the seat next to Harry.

“How do you know each other?” Harry asked, looking from Kacey to Ken.

“I met him at the Terrier premiere. He and Chris worked on ‘Jack Ryan’ together,” Kacey explained.

“Yes, I was fortunate to meet your charming girlfriend. When she called me to set this up, I thought it was the least I could do,” Ken said, still smiling.

Amelie came back with a second bottle of wine and remained to take their orders as Harry poured Kacey a glass.

The dinner was wonderful and the conversation sparkling but Harry was anxious to get Kacey back to his room. After the coffee and dessert he began making excuses and 15 minutes later they were on their way to his room. Immediately upon closing the door behind them, Harry turned to her and kissed her deeply. Palms holding her cheeks, fingers entwined in her hair, he kissed her until they were both breathless.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Kacey whispered as she unfastened the few buttons on his shirt then moved to divest him of his trousers.

“I’ve missed you too, baby” he managed between kisses as he lifted her dress over her head, pleasantly surprised that she was naked underneath.

Kacey put her arms around his neck and jumped; Harry catching her as she wrapped her legs around him. Mouths joined, he walked over to the bed and lowered her gently to the mattress. Their first lovemaking did not last long, the three weeks separation left them primed and ready, but it was a relief to be able to touch one another again. They lay in the moonlight streaming in from the windows, skin to skin, talking and kissing and reconnecting until Kacey had to pee. Harry, teasing her for her ‘tiny bladder’, followed her to the bathroom and turned on the taps running a bath while she took care of business. He lit a couple of candles and tossed in a bath bomb before turning to hold Kacey’s hand as she climbed into the tub. The scent of jasmine and clary sage filled the small room wafting from the steaming water. Kacey sat down and leaned back against Harry as they snuggled in the delicate pink water. Gentle kisses and sweet caresses in the candlelight and Kacey felt like she was in a dream. Being with Harry was always like that, as if the lines between reality and fantasy blurred and they were somehow transported to a private cocoon where the world could not reach them. Kacey did her best to savor those moments and lock them away in her mind to take out and replay them when they were apart.

The water had cooled and their fingers and toes had begun to prune when they climbed out of the water. After drying off with the plush towels from the warmer, Harry took Kacey’s fingertips and led her back to the bed. She climbed into it, leaning back into the pillows as he reached to turn on the lamp on the bedside table. He wanted ample light to see the beauty of his girl and to see her face when her pleasure became too much for her. Gently pressing her knees apart, he slid his nose up the inside of her thighs until he reached the apex. Planting a soft kiss on her lower lips, he used his fingers to spread them and looked at her and sighed. “There’s my beautiful petal.” Kacey smiled down at him and stroked his hair with her fingertips. Harry wasted no more time and began to devour her with lips and tongue and teeth, the stubble on his chin providing a sensual scratching. He stopped only to lift Kacey’s thighs over his shoulders and scoot her hips down so that he could get to even more of her. Probing deeply with his tongue and running his nose over her clit he heard her gasp and call his name as the waves of pleasure washed over her. Harry licked her through it then crawled up her until he could line his cock up with her entrance. Sliding into her soft swollen walls that encased him snugly, he moaned at the feeling. Leaning down to kiss Kacey he began a slow rhythm using his entire length, her hips moving in time with his, ensuring that he reach her depths. Kacey was undulating beneath him and the noises she made spurred him to move faster. He was digging his fingers into the fleshy part of her hips lifting her up to meet him when he heard her whisper “Harder, please Harry. Harder.” Pausing for only a moment to lift her feet and place them on his shoulders, he obliged. Kacey groaned as he filled her again and again. Looking down to watch himself disappear inside her, hearing her mewls and groans sent him over the edge and he came with shout of her name. Kacey was right behind and he could feel the pulsing of her orgasm in time with his own. Once their breathing had returned to normal, they fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

Harry awoke to the covers being pulled off of him, the cool air washing over him and making his skin pebble. He opened his eyes to see his beautifully naked girlfriend on her knees smiling down at him.

“What are you up to, minx?” he croaked at her.

Her wide smile gave him a hint as she proceeded to wake him in her favorite way; her lips and tongue and throat hitting all his pleasure spots as she coaxed an orgasm from him. Harry obliged and, arching his back, he felt the release and the pressure of Kacey’s tongue as she sucked him clean. Licking her lips to catch a droplet that had managed to escape her mouth, she smiled at him again as he pulled her down to kiss her.

“I love you, Kassidy.”

“As I love you, Harry.”

“Good morning!” Harry greeted as he and Kacey entered the reserved room in the restaurant. Fionn, Aneurin, and Tom were already seated and drinking tea.

The men at the table took note of Harry’s messy hair and the light flush of Kacey’s cheeks as they joined them for le petit dejeuner.

“I didn’t expect to see you two all weekend!” Fionn smirked at them. Kacey gave him a shrewd look as she sat in the chair Harry held for her. She waited for him to sit beside her before responding.

“Well, young Fionn, when one is running a marathon, one needs sustenance. Seven calories and a couple of grams of protein simply will not suffice,” she said daintily as she placed her napkin in her lap.

Fionn just gave her a blank look, the meaning of her words not registering immediately. Aneurin, after a beat, choked on his tea and Tom burst into laughter. When Kacey looked at Harry he was giving her a stern look.

“What?”

Harry raised his eyebrows and continued to look at her.

“He started it!”

Harry, still giving Kacey the look, inclined his head towards Fionn who had finally realized what she meant and was blushing profusely.

“Oh, for crying out loud. Fine.” Turning to Fionn, Kacey huffed out a breath and said, in a petulant voice, “Fionn, I’m sorry. That was inappropriate. Please don’t judge Harry for his girlfriend’s rudeness.” Turning back to Harry she said “Are you happy now?”

She glared at his smug expression for a moment before they both started laughing.

“What am I going to do with you?” he asked, smiling affectionately.

“I was hoping that you would keep me,” she replied, gazing at him through her lashes.

“Oh, I plan to,” he murmured as he leaned forward to kiss her.

* After breakfast, Harry asked Kacey if she wanted to see the set. She agreed excitedly and they went back to their room for credentials before setting off to the restricted area. On the way Harry talked about the history of the area and pointed out spots of interest. At the security gate, he greeted the guard by name and thanked him as he let them into the set.

Holding her hand, Harry led Kacey through the warren of trailers and and equipment to the beach. Walking out from the wharf onto the sand, the wind whipped up making Kacey shiver beneath her jumper. Harry pulled her closer, quietly telling her the story of the evacuation as written by Chris Nolan. They walked slowly, watching the waves churn before crashing onto the shore. Kacey stopped and looked at the recreated mole, imagining the men trapped on the pier. She stood holding tightly to Harry, trying to take it all in. She could feel the desperation and fear of the men trapped on the beach, the intense yearning to get home. Imagining Harry as one of them was overwhelming and she began to cry. Her own loneliness and longing for him feeding the emotions, she clung to him fiercely as she sobbed. Harry held her close and stroked her, murmuring soothingly until she regained her composure. They stood watching the sea until Kacey began to shiver.

Harry led her to the craft service in a section of one of the warehouses. While the actors had a three day break, there was none for the crew. Dozens of people were gathered at the tables eating and talking on their lunch break. Harry greeted each by name and introduced Kacey. A security guard in his mid-50s was seated at a table alone and Harry asked if he and Kacey could join him.

“I’d be delighted Harry-bo,” he replied with a grin.

Harry grimaced slightly and shook his head. He introduced the man as ‘John’ and held Kacey’s chair for her before walking over to the craft table to get some tea and a small snack.

Kacey turned to John and asked “Harry-bo?”

“Yes. It seems that your young man is partial to the gummy bears,” he explained with a laugh. “He went through so many bags of them that it was a natural nickname.”

Kacey was laughing as Harry returned and set down her tea. “You had to tell her, didn’t you?” Harry accused John.

“Aw now, it’s one of the things we love about you, Harry-bo. Makes you more like one of us and not some global superstar that no one can talk to,” John placated.

Smiling and shaking his head Harry responded, “I’m not some global super---”

“Denying it doesn’t make it untrue young man,” John interrupted. Turning to Kacey he added, “He is also quite partial to the oreos.”

“Why thanks for telling all my secrets, John,” Harry was smiling through a slight blush as Kacey held his hand.

They sat talking with John for a few more minutes before he had to get back to work. After cleaning up their mess, Harry led her on a tour of all the pertinent spots on the set. Seeing Kacey stifling a yawn, he started to head back to the hotel. Just as they reached the entrance, the clouds released the rain that they had been holding and they ran the last few feet into the building. Once in their room they snuggled down for a nap, the wind gusts sending the rain pelting against the windows, the sound lulling them to sleep.

* True to Fionn’s prediction, no one but room service saw them for the next two days. They spent the time attached to one another in every way they could think of. They were touching constantly and making the most of the time that kept racing away. Monday evening, Kacey was packing up her things, but it was difficult. Damn it. She did not want to be separated from him again. In the bathroom collecting her toiletries she gave herself a stern talking to in the mirror over the sink.

She was determined to leave gracefully so that he could remember her smiling and not all blotchy and teary and red. It took every ounce of strength she had, but she managed. She kissed him, held him and told him again that she loved him. Then she picked up her bag and breezed through the door and down the stairs and through the lobby into the waiting car. She didn’t cry until she was on the train. As they pulled out of the station Kacey promised herself that she wasn’t letting him go away without her again anytime soon.

21 notes · View notes