London-based director Jack Weatherley, best known for his tense 15-minute short Pieces, talks about his filmic portrait of the marathon world-record holder:
“I wanted to explore the metronomic, hypnotic movement of the long-distance runner, in an immersive visual language that is constantly in motion.
“We know that physically what long-distance runners do is extraordinary, but the cerebral nature of their activity is often left unheard. The subject of the portrait needed to be someone remarkable, of real substance, succinct and willing to talk very openly.
“I was lucky enough to be awarded funding from Great North Run Culture, which provided the opportunity to collaborate with Paula Radcliffe. She was perfect for the film, a joy to work with and it was a real privilege to capture her in this way.”