Interview with Alistair Train
on short film – Pearls
Interview by Louise Cannon
Alistair Train is a film director who has created 7 films, some of which have qualified for major awards such a the BAFTA’s, more about that later. For those of you who remember The Bill on ITV/STV, for Pearls, he has a major cast member appear in it, find out more as to who, in the interview.
Pearls takes film fans into the life of a couple who’s desire it is to start a family. It doesn’t go as planned as things start to occur. It’s a film, in a short space of time, is thought-provoking and capture your attention in different ways.
In the interview we talk about the highly bold and relevant themes it carries, such as masculinity and not confronting issues, emotions surrounding fertility, achieving certain effects and flashbacks in the film, a prestigious cast member, awards, next project and more…
You also get a peek behind the scenes in some of the official photos, passed to me by Tom Brumpton PR.
Let’s welcome Alastair Train to Bookmarks and Stages. Thank you very much for the opportunity to interview you.
1. You’ve now created 7 films, some of which have qualified for the likes of BAFTA, what or who inspired you to become a film-maker and what’s it like knowing that what you’re creating is of a high calibre to capture the attention of people who are part of prestigious awards?
I’ve always wanted to tell stories, but when I was younger, I wasn’t sure what the right medium was. That changed when I watched John Carpenter’s The Thing at probably too young an age. Seeing a film that visceral, with such a bleak tone – shocked me in a profound way. From then I knew that I wanted to make films that would create that same feeling in other people.
Knowing that some of my shorts have gone on to qualify for major awards is an amazing feeling. It validates that the films you’re making are sticking with people, and it’s a great motivator topush you forward onto the next project.
2. What was it like to direct someone as prestigious as Mark Wingett who is fondly remembered for The Bill amongst my generation and of course many other films?
It was such an honour to get the chance to work with Mark. He was so kind, generous, and brought something truly special to the role.
The best thing about working with actors like Mark is that they don’t just listen to your ideas – they provide their own. They know how to shape the character and give you what you’re looking for, but then take it a step further, bringing something new and unexpected. It’s amazing to collaborate with people like that.
3. The idea of Pearls was sparked by a strange encounter your brother had with an oyster. What was this encounter and how did this click for you, giving you the idea of this film?
The idea came from a rather disgusting oyster that my brother once ate. He described it to me as “thick and foamy”, which is not a particularly reassuring way to describe an oyster.
When I researched it, I found out that if an oyster is thick and foamy it means it’s fertile, and the foam that my brother ate was… well, best to leave that to the imagination.
The moment I had that horrific image in my head, I knew I had to find a way to include it in a film.
4. You explore toxic masculinity and the extremes people will go to in order to avoid confronting their problems. What inspired you to have this as a major theme and how important do you feel it is to have them depicted in modern day films?
I think it’s fair to say that most people go through life with some issues they’re not confronting, but what stuck out to me was how these issues are being used to sell products to you online. When I was researching oysters and their historical use as “aphrodisiacs”, I started to notice how the adverts on my feed changed – pills, creams, supplements, “are you losing your hair?”, “low testosterone?”, “do you have erectile dysfunction?”
You feel almost attacked by these products, and from a male perspective it’s clear these “cures” are marketed in a way that targets your masculinity. They give you the option to preserve your pride instead of doing the right thing – talking to a doctor, a therapist, your partner. That felt like a natural fit with the horrific oyster imagery I wanted to create.
I think that if you have a story that can naturally incorporate these issues into it, then you should go and make it, but it’s important that your film takes people on a journey and isn’t just about that one theme. I made Pearls because I wanted to make a body horror about oysters, and the themes fell into place. If you’re too obvious, it can undercut what you’re saying and start to feel preachy.
5. How did you, creating the film, and the actors, draw on the emotions needed to be authentic when the conversations in the film were about fertility issues?
The key was creating an open environment from the start. I was honest with Rory and Helen about the tone I wanted and why this story mattered to me. While fertility is the surface issue, Tony and Linda are really a couple who’ve lost the ability to be honest with each other – so the emotional core we needed to access was that sense of distance and unspoken resentment between two people who love each other but can’t communicate.
Having an intimacy coordinator was invaluable here. There’s a misconception that they only help with physical scenes, but what ours really did was create a safe space for Rory and Helen to inhabit this fractured relationship. That safety allowed them to go to vulnerable places without it feeling exploitative or overwhelming. When actors trust the process, authenticity follows.
6. What gave the inspiration for the flashback after tasting the oyster and how was that filmed to show all the images in the manner which they are?
That was one of my favourite sections to film. I knew while I was writing the script that I wanted to have a “vision” scene, and it was a lot of fun imagining how it could look. Visually, it was inspired by the body-switch scene from Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor – it was so visceral and ethereal that I knew I wanted to create a similar sensation in Pearls.
We filmed most of that section using a special vintage lens from the Astro Berlin Pan-Tachar series that we nicknamed “oyster vision”. It helped us create that dreamy look I was hoping for, and we looked for as many opportunities as possible to use it.
A lot of credit has to go to my editor, Iñigo, who had to make sense of all that material – I think he made something truly memorable.
7. There are a few silent moments, what was your intention and what do you hope the audience draws from them?
I wanted to give the audience a chance to sit in silence with the characters’ decisions. It helps build the tension and gives people space to think about whether they’d do the same thing. Like in real life, people aren’t just walking around talking to themselves all the time – so to me those moments of silence make the characters more believable and easier for the audience to connect with.
I love it when you get to imagine what the characters are feeling rather than having them explain it, and when you’re working with actors like Rory, Helen and Mark, their faces can tell you so much without them saying a word.
8. What appealed to you to use the horror genre to convey the themes you do?
Body horror has always appealed to me because the best ones are cleverly disguised dramas, with horrific imagery that lets your audience not just see but also feel the transformation the characters go through. The audience isn’t being told something – they get to experience it.
9. How did you achieve the special effects when the film turns full horror?
From the start, I knew that I wanted the effects to be done practically – the challenge was figuring out how to make it happen. That was until my producer introduced me to our production designer, Olavo. He brought in an incredible SFX and prosthetics team who worked tirelessly to bring the transformations to life.
The attention to detail was amazing – they scanned real oysters and used them to create the flesh textures for the actors, and 3D-printed the giant shells. It was incredible to see it on set, and I hope that shows in the film.
10. Where can people watch the film and what’s your next project?
The film is on its festival run right now, so it won’t be publicly available for at least another year. However, you can catch it next at the Bay International Film Festival in early January 2026.
As for what’s next, I’m developing two feature films – My Life, about VR and escapism, and Coming Home, an action horror about a murderous cult in the English countryside – and another short ‘Let it grow’ about hypochondria.
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 