Director's Comments

Gavin Miller and Melvyn Bragg decided to invite "some distinguished film directors" (as the Telegraph put it) to make films from the short stories of James Joyce and Anton Tchekhov. At that time no 'outside' director could work for the BBC without very special permission, so when I was invited along with Jonathan Miller, Ken Loach, Karel Reisz, Ken Russell and others for the Full House arts programme it seemed an exciting and challenging idea.

Challenging, because I knew some of the stories of the writers involved, and because I knew of the producers' artistic integrity, who hopefully would ensure that the BBC budgets would not be too small - even though they were short stories

I chose a poignant six-page story about first hate, rather than first love, called 'Zinotchka', and knowing of Melvyn Bragg's film work and novels, I asked him if he would write the script for me. He agreed, and we got on well together and managed to get Charlotte Rampling, whom I always wanted to work with, to play the leading role of Zinotchka.

My agent worried about the budget, and warned me they would only pay me a little more than 'my last contract'. I pointed out that as I last worked for the BBC as a school boy in 1957, on a programme called 'All Your Own' for £5.12s.8d, I was hoping for more than a tenner. Still the budget and schedule were certainly small, but again, the secret of success for a nine day shoot was to film it all in one location - this time I chose Dodington House, a splendid rather decaying mansion, with a Russian feel to it.

The BBC crew were very adept, and the actors excellent, the only hiccough was during shooting, as the owner of the house, Lady Codrington, had been instructed to show anyone who called for filming to go to the stables at the rear of the house to join the crew. Mid-morning the front door bell rang, and an elderly man with large fedora hat and scarf appeared. He said rather grandly "I've come to photograph Miss Rampling" - "Then round to the stables if you please" said Lady C and closed the door.

She was rather mortified to discover later that the grand old man was Sir Cecil Beaton.

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