Episode 67: Malinda Kaur, 2nd Assistant Director

This week’s guest is Malinda Kaur, a second assistant director whose recent credits include Clio Barnard’s upcoming film Ali & Ava, HBO & Sky Atlantic’s TV series The Third Day, British independent dramas Rocks and Monsoon and a little show calling Killing Eve. 

Malinda started out as a floor runner working on Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights, before becoming a third assistant director. We discuss in-depth that particular hierarchy and how her responsibilities change depending on both the role, and the project. 

Malinda is also a writer-director in her own right, having made two short films, Amishi in 2016, which was shot by Robbie Ryan and Blind in 2019 which was shot by former podcast guest Rachel Clark. Malinda was selected as a mentee on the 2019 Women in Film & TV mentoring programme for writing & directing and she is currently preparing to shoot her third short. 

It was really heartening to hear how Malinda has balanced her creative ambitions with the need to get full-time work, and how the practical elements of her roles on set have gone on to inform her own filmmaking process.