Film editor Nick Emerson, inspired by his early fascination with 1970s American political thrillers and the unfolding peace talks in Northern Ireland, has risen to acclaim for his work on Conclave.
The film, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, leads this year’s Bafta nominations with 12 nods, including Best Editing. It is also a frontrunner for next month’s Oscars, with Emerson and several cast members tipped for individual awards.
Growing up in Lisburn, County Antrim, Emerson credits his fascination with politics and power to witnessing the Good Friday Agreement negotiations as a child.
Speaking to BBC News NI, he reflected on how working in the BBC newsroom early in his career influenced his storytelling approach.
“There were a lot of peace talks and a lot of news,” he said.
“That experience gave me an appetite for political dramas and a fascination with how competing ideologies clash behind closed doors.”
Conclave, based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel, follows a group of scheming cardinals as they gather to elect a new pope after the death of the previous one.
Described as a tense political thriller, the film exposes the backroom deals and personal ambitions lurking within the Vatican.
Emerson draws parallels between the film and the newsroom politics he witnessed, noting that Conclave is ultimately about “people with competing interests and ideologies, all jostling for power.”
Emerson and director Edward Berger, best known for his Oscar-nominated All Quiet on the Western Front, set out to emulate the pacing and style of classic 1970s thrillers like All The President’s Men.
“The action is people behind closed doors, scheming,” Emerson explained. “We aspired to create something with that same tension and intrigue.”
The film focuses on the Dean of the College of Cardinals, played by Ralph Fiennes, as he struggles with a personal crisis of faith while overseeing the process of electing a new pope.
The story builds suspense through subtle visual storytelling, with long takes and carefully controlled pacing.
“Edward was really keen to push boundaries on how long we could hold shots and maintain tension while keeping the pace brisk,” Emerson said.
“We knew we had to make it feel like a political thriller despite it being people talking for two hours.”
Emerson was working on future projects in his editing suite when the Bafta nominations were announced.
“We watched the live stream and just started jumping up and down, screaming,” he recalled.
Conclave has received widespread praise for its meticulous editing and tightly woven narrative. The film stands out as one of the year’s most celebrated projects, with many eagerly awaiting its performance at the Oscars.
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