CULTURE EDITION
FLIGHT, CAMERA, ACTION! Ahead of its swoop onto screens, Miriam Balanescu met H is for Hawk director Philippa Lowthorpe H elen Macdonald’s H is for Hawk is no conventional story about grief. The former Jesus College, Cambridge
Philippa, “requiring permission from the colleges to use any little bit of their land, even if you’re filming outside a doorway into a college. “But Jesus College, because Helen went there, was incredibly welcoming and even let us film during term time – which was hard for them!” Other picturesque corners of the city make a cameo, such as Trinity Lane; the president of King’s College granted them permission to shoot in the lamplit spot. We could hear evensong as we watched Claire wander off with hawk on arm
“He’d read the book and absolutely loved it,” says Philippa. “You can’t hear it on the track unfortunately, but we could hear evensong as we watched Claire wander off with hawk on arm.” Adapting the memoir and getting to grips with hawking – the practice of hunting using birds of prey – was a steep learning curve for Philippa and especially Claire, who went through the same goshawk training process as Helen. “It also takes you to emotional places you perhaps didn’t know you had in you,” reflects Philippa. “When I was asked to direct H is for Hawk , my dad had died not long before, so it was actually wonderful to be with Helen and listen to them talking about their experiences. I felt like I had to make the film for my dad as well.” While Charlotte Bruus Christensen was principal cinematographer, the nature documentary cinematographer Mark Payne-Gill was enlisted to capture Mabel’s flights – performed by two ‘stunt hawks’. “That’s his speciality,” says Philippa, “he just goes off around the world filming creatures. He has the most amazing reflex action. He can focus on things coming towards him at a million miles an hour. “We had a rule that we would film everything and anything that happened with the hawk, and Claire would react in the moment,” Philippa continues. One of four hawks filmed, “Jess was very intelligent, incredibly attuned to humans in a way that is rare for a goshawk. Claire loved Jess. They had an incredible rapport.” During a magical moment, the pair played together with scrunched-up paper: “I couldn’t cheer out loud because I’d have scared the hawk, but inside I was cheering.” H is for Hawk is showing now at the Arts Picturehouse in Cambridge. For showtimes and tickets, visit picturehouses.com
fellow’s bestselling memoir chronicles how, after their father passed away, they purchased a goshawk (christened Mabel) to tame, creating the ultimate distraction. Now, this powerful story has been adapted for the big screen, with Helen played by Claire Foy, who reunites with director Philippa Lowthorpe after their collaboration on The Crown . “Claire brings the same incredible integrity and authenticity she did to the queen,” says Philippa. “I was confident that she would be the one who could really pull it off.” They headed to Helen’s former stomping ground, but arranging the shoot was no easy feat. “Cambridge is a notoriously difficult place to film,” explains
H IS FOR HOME Cambridge locations such as Jesus College and Trinity Lane join Claire Foy on screen
20 FEBRUARY 2026 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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