"I thought this was one of the most exciting scripts I'd read," says Danny Boyle, "because unlike most British writing for television or screen, it was very simple, very dynamic and didn't carry a lot of history or moral baggage with it. Although its social milieu is very British, there is something 'American' about its absolute concentration on the drive of the narrative - and a constantly surprising narrative at that - which makes for wonderful cinema."

"What’s good about the theatre is that you get a background working with actors, which is incredibly beneficial later. As a director, your ultimate aim is to make something for the big screen, because it tests your craft more than any other way. Theatre is primarily an actor's tool, whereas the cinema is very much the director's arrangement."

1. Why does the director think Shallow Graveis, in some ways, an ‘American’ film?
2. According to the director, what differences are there between working in the theatre/cinema?
3. Find synonyms for the underlined words.

Watch the next sequence carefully and think of three questions to ask your partner about it

Now ask your partner your questions about the scene and together answer the questions your teacher asks you