Clubhouse Conversations — The Banshees of Inisherin

In this episode, cinematographer Ben Davis, BSC is joined by interviewer Dave Perkal, ASC to discuss his work on The Banshees of Inisherin — a tragicomic tale of an abruptly-ended friendship from writer-director Martin McDonagh.

Set in 1923 on the fictional Irish isle of Inisherin, The Banshees of Inisherin explores the absurd aftermath of frustrated folk musician Colm Doherty's (Brendan Gleeson) sudden and rash decision to ignore his longtime companion Pádraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell) and focus only on his music. The film marks the third collaboration between Davis and McDonagh, who first joined heads to make Seven Psychopaths in 2012 and re-teamed in 2017 for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which garnered BAFTA and Satellite nominations for Best Cinematography.

In this interview, Davis shares an inside look at his creative partnership with McDonagh; why he's against the idea that "there has to be a key light"; how he created depth within characters' faces; and how drew upon Western influences to depict the film's lush landscapes.

Ben Davis, BSC is a British cinematographer whose credits include the Marvel features Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), Captain Marvel (2019) and Eternals (2021); director Matthew Vaughn's Layer Cake (2004), Stardust (2007), Kick-Ass (2010) and The King's Man (2021); director John Madden's The Debt (2010) and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011); and director Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths (2012) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).

Dave Perkal, ASC is a cinematographer working in film, TV and commercials whose recent series credits include Marvel’s Runaways, Netflix's Cowboy Bebop and Warner Bros.' The Vampire Diaries.

You’ll find all episodes in our ASC Clubhouse Conversations discussion series here.