Olivia Cooke and Jack O'Connell Talk About How 'Little Fish' Is Not Just A Drop In The Pandemic-Trend Ocean
The two co-stars share how much art means to them during the real life pandemic, and what ‘Little Fish’ can mean to audiences.
Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One, Bates Motel) and Jack O’Connell (Unbroken) chat with our Managing Editor, Michael Winn Johnson about their independent film ‘Little Fish’. Produced by IFC Films, Little Fish follows the story of two young lovers, Emma (Cooke) and Jude (O'Connell) during a global pandemic. The disease that spreads across the world is one that makes memories start to slowly fade until those who are infected begin to forget everyone around them.
The premise itself sounds like Little Fish will be yet another footnote in the pandemic-trend that will undoubtedly just grow and grow in upcoming films, but the film has real heart. Lead by these two amazing young actors, Emma & Jude's story is very believable, and the pandemic never seems gimmicky. We chat about how art has grown to mean so much in these recent months in the real life pandemic, how Cooke and O'Connell continue to survive and thrive in their real lives, and how they created a love story that is sad, sweet and has one clever little twist in it.
O’Connell and Cooke (who also features as Executive Producer) are not blind to the film’s impact in this insane time. Insane not only because of the terrifying nature of the real-life-pandemic, but what it has done to the film business. Cooke (wearing her EP hat) talks about how human connection is so important during this time: “I think that's it, isn't it? Relationships… and it's made you really grateful for the people that you have around you, and also the people that you can't see all the time. Like, my mom and my sister, and my family are up in Manchester and not being able to go to them since we've had this current lockdown … it's just rubbish. It really makes you just yearn for those relationships more”.
O’Connell would package Little Fish as a way to reconnect with those you love, and look at art as one of the great forces that can still bring us together, even though things might be bleak. “I miss [art]. I miss it greatly. I mean, yeah, I feel thankful that we can still have access in some ways escape with music and film, TV. But there is like I'll miss go into the theatre. I'll miss live music festivals. It's hard to imagine a music festival ever happening again. I pray that they do. It's just it's just a different deal altogether. I mean, I'm feeling a bit aloof, talking about it, but I think what I'd hoped [the film] would achieve is just offer a different version. You know, it's not a Coronavirus base drama. It's just the same template as a global pandemic and all of this sort of panic and hysteria and tragic loss that would come with that.”.
LITTLE FISH is now available in select theatres, Digital and Cable VOD!
Check out the full interview, below:
