Harry Potter Looms Large for Ronan Day-Lewis

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I recently watched Ronan Day-Lewis’s debut, Anemone, and it’s a really powerful, emotionally heavy film that delves into the lasting effects of trauma passed down through families. What makes it even more fascinating? It stars his father, the legendary Daniel Day-Lewis, in his first role in eight years! It got me thinking – how did Ronan Day-Lewis go from being a kid on film sets to directing a full-blown production? Let’s take a look at some of the key experiences that shaped his early career as a moviegoer and filmmaker.

First movie you saw in theaters?
I distinctly remember seeing Finding Nemo for the first time, though I probably saw another movie before that-it might have been The Incredibles. I watched Finding Nemo again not long ago, and it really holds up-it’s a fantastic film.

First movie you bought?
Either the first or the second Harry Potter film.

First favorite movie?
I saw Whale Rider when I was about 5 years old, and it really stuck with me. I was completely captivated by it for a long time. I was drawn to its mythical qualities, and I was already fascinated with the ocean – I’d watched a lot of Blue Planet. The lead actress, [Keisha Castle-Hughes], gives an incredible performance, and there’s a mysterious feeling throughout the film. Also, My Neighbor Totoro was another movie I really loved.

First favorite actor?Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter.

First movie crush?The main character from Spirited Away — Chihiro.

First movie that made you cry?
I’m not sure if it actually made me cry, but I watched [Ken Loach’s] Kes at a young age, and it really upset me. It was the first time I remember feeling so sad while watching a film.

First favorite director?
Paul Thomas Anderson. I believe Punch-Drunk Love was the first film of his that I watched, and after that, I explored the rest of his work in reverse order.

First movie set you visited?
My parents filmed The Ballad of Jack and Rose, and they shot it on Prince Edward Island, which is off the coast of Canada. I was probably around 5 years old then. I remember they built a set – a house built into a hillside, completely covered in grass. It looked like a really unusual illusion.

First book about movies you read?
I came across a book on making films yourself-I’ve forgotten the title-that was full of practical advice. It showed you how to create camera movements, like attaching your camera to a skateboard to get a smooth tracking shot, and other techniques like that.

First film score that made an impression on you? The music from Pan’s Labyrinth really stuck with me-it’s incredibly atmospheric. Also, Rosemary’s Baby was a big influence, and the two scores actually have some similarities. I’ve often wondered if the creators of Pan’s Labyrinth were inspired by Rosemary’s Baby when composing the lullaby.

First memorable needle drop?
“Be My Baby” in Mean Streets is a pretty epic one.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=TBVC6Y2dftU

First shot from a film that stuck with you?
It’s not one of my earliest film memories, but there’s a shot that really blew me away – and honestly, we kind of borrowed the idea for Anemone – it’s from Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Mirror. It’s just a field of grass in a clearing, and the wind is blowing through it. I was completely stunned by how much depth that simple image had.

First movie of my dad’s that I saw?
It was either My Left Foot or The Last of the Mohicans. Honestly, the first time I saw him up on the screen, the really odd thing was then just seeing him, you know, as himself. I’d become so accustomed to him *as* the character, and then when he stepped outside of that role, he was just… my dad. It’s a really surreal experience. There’s this strange disconnect – it’s him, but also not him – and I almost have to actively *forget* that I know this person so well.

When did you first realize your dad was famous?
It happened when I was about 7 years old, through other kids at school. Their parents would show them The Last of the Mohicans, and then they’d start talking about it to me. I had been on movie sets before that, but I didn’t really understand what was happening.

The first video camera you bought?
It was a small Sony camera with a hand strap and a little screen that would swing out. I think I was around 13 or 14 years old. I used it to film a zombie movie in my friend’s basement. I was really into horror movies at the time, and there was a film on Netflix called Zombie Girl about a girl who made a full-length zombie movie in her hometown. It really inspired me. Before that, we had made a few other movies using my friend’s dad’s camera.

When did you first consider directing a full-length movie?
It was around the time I was in eighth grade. I had a film teacher, Michael Domenica, who didn’t just *teach* about movies, but also gave us projects where we created short films. I began writing my first feature-length screenplay at age 15, and that’s when things really started happening.

The very first scene I wrote for Anemone?
It was the one introducing Ray [Editor’s note: played by Daniel Day-Lewis]. I envisioned the camera smoothly moving through the trees, and then finally settling on him, powerfully hacking away at roots in a clearing. It felt like the perfect way to begin.

Last movie you bought?
I don’t immediately recall, but it was likely a film Ben Fordesman – the cinematographer for Anemone – and I used as a visual guide. We checked out Autumn Sonata. We also watched the third Harry Potter movie. We referenced Knife in the Water because much of it happens in a very small space with just a few characters. We were analyzing how to create a feeling of claustrophobia by framing people tightly.

Recently discovered a great film?
I just watched Morvern Callar for the first time, and it really sparked my interest in the work of Lynne Ramsay and her other films.

Last movie you saw in theaters? Oh, I’ve seen a few things since then, but The Brutalist really stuck with me. I’ve been completely focused on finishing up Anemone, so I haven’t made it to many movies in the cinema lately. But I was lucky enough to catch The Brutalist on the big screen, and it was a fantastic experience!

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2025-10-02 23:56