George MacKay: “I love dancing with the camera in long takes”

PETRALIA SOPRANA – After starring in one of the most ambitious films of recent years, 1917, and appearing alongside Léa Seydoux in The Beast, British actor George MacKay continues to challenge himself with roles that push his boundaries. Hitting Italian theaters on July 3, distributed by I Wonder Pictures, The End marks the first fictional film by acclaimed director Joshua Oppenheimer. It was shot in the Italkali salt mine of Petralia Soprana, Sicily.

The film is a post-apocalyptic musical that tells the story of a wealthy family who hides for decades in a mine to escape the climate crisis that has decimated the surface population. MacKay plays the son of the couple portrayed by Tilda Swinton and Michael Shannon, a young man who may be the last heir of human civilization. Everything changes with the sudden arrival of a girl (Moses Ingram), fleeing the extreme conditions that killed her family. Coming into contact for the first time with someone from outside the mine he grew up in, the young man begins to question everything he knows, uncovering the darkest secrets of those who raised him.

We met the actor during The End Experience, an event that led us to explore the evocative set where the film was shot, in the timeless depths of a salt mine.

What was it like returning to the mine after all this time?

Coming back here is amazing. It feels like things have come full circle. We were here two years ago, and there is something beautifully complete about being back. This place helped fill in a lot of the gaps in my understanding of who the character really was. Josh and I had many conversations trying to figure out what the character did or did not know, but physically being in this space gave me an instinctive sense of his surroundings and context. It is something I could not have fully understood without actually being here.

How did shooting on location help you step into the character?

His emotional growth is very slow, mainly because he has had so little contact with the outside world or with people his own age. I wanted to explore that childlike part of him. There is an innocence, a genuine sense of hope, a deep curiosity. He is almost like a boy shaped by nature. That physicality came quite naturally as I leaned into that youthful energy. I also needed to show how he changes over time, how his understanding develops, especially as he begins to uncover the lies told by the head of the family. He matures mentally, and I wanted that change to show physically as well, in the way he stood, the way he moved, the way he presented himself. That is how I traced the path of his development through the script.

Do you think the love between the son and the girl is genuine, or that he fell for her simply because she’s the first outsider he’s ever met?

I believe he genuinely fell in love with her, not just for who she is, but for what she represents to him. It’s about his emotional, sexual, and spiritual awakening. That’s love. Also, she’s all he knows. I think he would have been deeply affected by anyone entering that home, but he wouldn’t necessarily have fallen in love. I do believe it’s a sincere love.

What was the most challenging song to perform?

The song Catch Fire, the duet between the son and the girl, has a really unusual rhythm. You shouldn’t notice it when you watch the scene, but I really struggled to get it right. I kept trying to simplify it or impose a more regular rhythm. It’s a very subtle thing, but I found it quite difficult.

This film features several long takes. After 1917, you’re something of an expert. What do you particularly enjoy about this kind of shot?

Mostly, it’s the feeling of collaboration with the whole team, especially the camera crew. It’s like performing in a play where you have to listen for the audience’s reactions. You’re fully immersed in the scene, but you also have to keep one ear open to your surroundings to know when to deliver your line. It’s like developing a three dimensional awareness of your performance. You always have to be aware of what the camera is doing. You have to dance with it. I love that aspect.