'The Pigeon Tunnel': Errol Morris conducts 'definitive interview' with John le Carré
"It was the ideal conversation partner for that final discussion," David Cornwell's son said
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The late David Cornwell, better known as author John le Carré, was notorious for not doing many interviews, but made an exception for Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris for the Apple TV+ film The Pigeon Tunnel.
Where to watch The Pigeon Tunnel: Apple TV+ on Oct. 20
Director: Errol Morris
Runtime: 92 minutes
The most notorious writer of spy novels in the world, paired with one of the most prolific documentary filmmakers, makes for a particularly unique exploration of Cornwell's life, and the links to his novels, including "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," "A Perfect Spy" and of course "The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life."
"Our dad knew he was reaching the end of his life and I think he felt he wanted to do one more final, if you like, definitive interview," Cornwell's son Simon told Yahoo Canada, during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). "He had always been a huge respecter of Errol's work, he was fascinated by it, by The Fog of War in particular."
"So I think, from his perspective, this was something he'd been toying with the idea of doing and when Errol reached out, it was the perfect combination actually. It was the ideal conversation partner for that final discussion."
Watch The Pigeon Tunnel on Apple TV+, 7 days free and then $6.99/month
The Pigeon Tunnel mixes Morris' interview with achival footage and dramatizations to tell the story of this elusive ex-British Spy turned author. This includes learning more about Cornwell's father Ronnie, who he calls a "confidence trickster," and his mother who disappeared when Cornwell was five.
"I think what we did feel about Errol is that he was a great mind, and that his curiosities and his way of relating to people, and material and ideas, was very complimentary to our father," Cornwell's son Stephen said.
"Our dad was looking to have a genuine conversation that was not about information or a lot of the focus of a conventional interview, he was looking for a conversation with someone that could go on a journey with him into these areas. Errol is clearly unique in his capacity to have those conversations, to capture them on camera, to be able to bring them to an audience in a very accessible way."
What's particularly engaging about The Pigeon Tunnel is not only the playful banter between Morris and Cornwell, but also how it feels like we're in a le Carré espionage story, filled with secrets and interpretations of the truth.
"He was a storyteller, as a father, in a family context, in all walks of his life," Stephen said. "He told story, he recognized story. He'd bring it forward, he'd invented it or he'd recounted, or he'd do a combination of both. He'd imagine where the real ended and where the fiction can begin."
'Everlasting magic'
Ultimately, Cornwell's sons continue to be "touched and amazing" by the impact their father has made on so many readers.
"I know he's a very successful author who's sold many, many books, but how deeply he touches his readership, and how in the specificities of his stories and the secret worlds they often inhabit, he manages to touch something, which is very accessible and where people can recognize themselves, and their lives in the characters, and stories he's telling," Stephen said.
"He brings a very personal connectivity into that and I think that's part of his everlasting magic, that there is a relevance and resonance that is very individualized in the way he tells his stories."
Watch The Pigeon Tunnel on Apple TV+, 7 days free and then $6.99/month
"I think what's really important to our dad's storytelling and writing is the humanity of it, the relevance of it," Simon added. " These are stories where, ... maybe we want to be part of them, maybe we really don't want to be part of them, but we feel the emotion that runs through them all."
"He wrote thrillers, he dealt with political worlds, but at the end of the day, he wrote love stories and I think those are what resonate with people, and are the core to his conversation with his audience, his readership."
