You won't find another film quite like Cary Fukunaga's Beasts of No Nation this awards season. The powerful drama centers on a young boy in a war-torn African country who becomes a child soldier under the command of the brutal but paternal Commandant. The film is not only another triumphant success for Fukunaga, who has found prior acclaim with Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre, and HBO's True Detective, but it's also Netflix's first original feature. That comes with its own unique pressures, and along with the various hurdles and near-death experiences of the production itself, this proved to be quite the test for Fukunaga and his stars, Idris Elba and young Abraham Attah.
Along with my colleague Tim Gordon I had the chance to speak with Fukunaga and Attah about filming Beasts of No Nation. The director talked about his directorial inspiration, his reasons for telling such a difficult story, and of course those near-death experiences which he and Attah were happy to joke around about.Beasts of No Nation is available now on Netflix and in theaters. You can check my review here and the interview below!
