After graduating from the University of Nottingham, Hanna Flint has gone from strength-to-strength as a film journalist, working at publications like Empire, Time Out and The Guardian. Now we catch up with her about her debut book, Strong Female Character…
In September you’re going to be releasing your debut book Strong Female Character. Can you tell us a bit about that?
So, as a film critic and writer and someone who basically grew up watching movies, I felt inspired to look at how what we watch on screen influences us. There were a lot of film topics that I wanted to cover, but at the same time I thought I could tie that into quite a cool memoir. So, instead of it being just about my life, it combines the two.
I think for so many of us, films help us process life. Is that something you relate to?
Absolutely. I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where I don’t make a film reference, and I certainly think that films help us better understand ourselves. For example, there’s a chapter in the book about motherhood, and I remember watching Ladybird for the first time and thinking, ‘that is exactly us,’ about me and my mum. Cinema can provide a way to communicate how you’re feeling, as any form of art does. It definitely feels like so much of what I’ve watched has taught me, or inspired me, or influenced me in some way.
Both positively and negatively…
Yes. I think, especially as a millennial, there’s certain representations and images and dialogues that we’ve seen that have had a positive and negative impact on the way that we navigate the world. You can enjoy cinema but recognise what’s good and bad about it, and I hope this book does that. Hopefully it’s a bit of a manifesto on how we can improve and achieve more, and try to represent as many voices as we can, so then we can understand not just ourselves but other people.
Hopefully it’s a bit of a manifesto on how we can improve and achieve more, and try to represent as many voices as we can
This interview is for LeftLion’s 150th edition, where the theme is celebration. One of the major themes in the book is you learning to celebrate your Tunisian background…
It is, and it’s been an up-and-down journey, especially because I’m mixed and I don’t have that connection to my culture. There’s this weird thing where you don’t want to be defined by your identity, but you want to feel part of it as a whole. My big thing is that I want to go to Tunisia, I was meant to go before the lockdown, and that’s still something I want to do. But the best way for me to feel that connection now is through cooking and cinema, or even watching Wimbledon and seeing Ons Jabeur, who is Tunisian. It matters so much.
Obviously, the other massive theme in the book is womanhood. Why was this so important to you?
I did a BBC Inside Cinema video essay about the Strong Female Character, and I had to think about what the trope meant. Is it about literally being strong all the time? I certainly don’t think that, and I hope my last chapter (named after the book), shows that strength is being vulnerable. It was important for me to ask what it actually means to be a Strong Female Character.
And finally, since we’re focusing this section of the magazine on the ‘Next Generation’, what are your hopes for the future?
In the material sense, I’d love to someday buy a flat. Having my own property and autonomy is one of the few arbitrary goals I’d love to achieve. But I suppose, selfishly, I just want to find more contentment and, as someone who’s quite anxious and has imposter syndrome, I want to be able to enjoy my own successes more.
Strong Female Character will be released on Thursday 29 September through Footnote Press
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