My work, whether film fiction, adaptation or true-story, deals with human extremes - captivity (Blind Flight - The Brian Keenan/John McCarthy Hostage Story), mental disorders (Looks That Kill - Body Dysmorphic Disorder), social deprivation (Living On The Edge - The Dark Side Of Thatcher's Britain), torture (Helen Bamber - On The Trail Of Torture). It is character-driven, with love in all its forms a frequent theme, and also humour (Stormy Weather - The Life And Times of Derek Jarman).

It has been noted for its empathy with very sensitive true stories, and I enjoy close relationships with my films’ subjects. I like to work in a very open, collaborative and inclusive way with actors, project colleagues, true-story protagonists and authors. (see Screenwriting/True Stories and Films: Directing/Actors)

My main interest is in subjects that could work in the gap between ‘art’ and ‘popular’ cinema, that could combine creative integrity with some kind of mainstream appeal (see Blind Flight: Overview).

Given the amount of time, money and energy involved in getting a movie made I generally need to have a sense of why and how a film might work in the marketplace (see A Film Project & Its Marketability - Out Of The Dark). This seems particularly important now, when the film and TV industries are facing enormous changes in the digital era.