“A big challenge in the performance was to imbue the two characters with some internal differences, because they’re both facing a very different set of circumstances. “Getting to work with a master like Mahershala for my first film still feels surreal in some ways,” says Cleary. I think I started to look at the world through a different lens around that time, and started to really think – probably far too much – about my own death and what it would do to those around me if I passed.”Īt the centre of the film is a dual-performance from Mahershala Ali – bringing his double-Oscar-winning talents to a pair of characters who need to be totally alike, and yet subtly different. When someone dies suddenly, there's no goodbye. “I witnessed what that was like, and the ripples of grief that spread out from that, and just what it does to everyone around the person who's gone. “When I was around 19, 20, 21, I lost three friends three summers in a row,” he tells Empire. It’s a tale of grief, love, and humanity, as Ali’s terminally-ill Cameron grapples with his imminent mortality, and contemplates replacing himself with a clone in order to spare his loved ones from the devastation of losing him.įor Cleary, it’s a deeply personal exploration.

In Swan Song, not only has he assembled an astonishing cast – with Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close and Awkwafina as his core foursome – but he’s also wrestling with big, meaty topics. With his feature debut, writer-director Benjamin Cleary is going big.

Why did the empire not use clones