The Outrun director on bringing ‘mesmerising’ Saoirse Ronan performance to life in one of the remotest parts of the UK

One of the best films of the year was filmed in one of the most remote parts of the UK and features an incredible performance from Irish star Saoirse Ronan

Director Nora Fingscheidt has revealed some of the biggest challenges that came with filming the stellar new drama film The Outrun in some of the most remote parts of the UK.

Starring Saoirse Ronan, the hard-hitting narrative follows a young woman who returns to her home on the Orkney Islands in Scotland following a stint in rehab.

Loosely based on Amy Liptrot’s stark memoir detailing her experiences with addiction, Ronan’s protagonist Rona struggles to find her footing back home whilst also dealing with her wildly different yet equally demanding parents.

The Orkney Islands rarely play host to film crews, so Fingscheidt and her team had to constantly adapt while still attempting to do justice to Liptrot’s story.

“It is challenging to film there, to be honest, because there isn’t really any sort of resources for filming bigger movies,” she told Screen Time. “There’s lots of very skilled local fixers and nature photographers, but of course we had to improvise in order to set up a movie production set.

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“On the other hand, that is also the great benefit because people were so curious and they were supporting us and we got all kinds of support in front of the camera and behind the camera.

“But it was a little bit like an adventure the more remote we went, because filming on the mainland is still relatively easy, but then filming on a tiny remote island Papa Westray is really challenging because you can’t get a truck on the island and you can only get a hostel with 12 beds so we had to stay with locals in their private houses. That really became a fantastic, almost like a team-bonding, creative experience.

“I think, also, the content of the movie changed and was influenced by the locals.”

Fingscheidt went on to reveal “many” of the Orkney locals were also used as actors in the film playing small yet crucial supporting roles.

“Actors, extras and also behind the camera, in all departments, everywhere,” she said.

Having co-written the script with both Liptrot and Ronan, the director revealed the memoir’s original author experienced some rather surreal moments when she occasionally joined them on location during filming and watched back the footage.

“She told me, the day we finished shooting, she was very, very relieved because it always came with a certain anxiety every morning to watch this meta version of a meta version of her life,” Fingscheidt explained.

“She watched us sort of playing a version of herself who’s not really her, and at some points she wasn’t even sure which were her memories or which were the images she had just seen and it all blurred together. I think it was a very, very bizarre experience.”

The Outrun was certainly a passion project for Ronan, who frequently had to perform by herself without her usual ensemble or scene partner she’s used to from hit films like The Grand Budapest Hotel or Brooklyn.

“It was an adventure for her because it’s also the first time producing,” the director explained.

“And so that means the film really means a lot to her and is her baby as much as it is mine or Amy’s. She owns it and that comes with a lot of passion for the project but also a lot of responsibility. It’s rare you have access to an actress of that level. It was really great and intense.

“Some parts of it were new to her in terms of playing somebody who messes up things, who doesn’t have anything under control, who isn’t the smart one among weird people. No, she’s the one who destroys it all.

“I think that is something she hadn’t really done before, to that extent. But, that is also the wonder and the beauty of the creative challenge, to do something that you haven’t done before. So I thought it was really exciting for her and a fantastic experience working with her.”

The Outrun is still in UK cinemas now and is also available to buy or rent from digital platforms, so it’s not one to miss for anyone who has loved Ronan’s performances in recent films like Blitz or See How They Run.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called her performance “mesmerising” and writes “In every shot and every scene, mostly in closeup, Ronan carries the film with her unselfconsciously fierce and focused presence.

“Out-of-control-drunk acting in montage is a difficult thing to bring off – as is the representation of precarious sobriety – but she does it with intelligence and plausibility.”

For our money, The Outrun is one of the most underrated films of 2024 so make sure you add it to your watchlists.

The Outrun is in UK cinemas now and you can rent or buy it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV or the Sky Store.