Colin Firth, Helen Mirren in latest Hood movie

"IT is really hard to get your first feature film made. The only thing harder is getting your second feature film made."

True to his word prolific South African director Gavin Hood took just 30 minutes, on a busy set in Cape Town, to speak about the love for his country and his latest film Eye in the Sky. The movie, which stars Colin Firth and Helen Mirren, wrapped up filming in South Africa yesterday.

Eye in the Sky is a thriller about military drones and Hood assured that it would be thought-provoking. It is set to be released next year.

"The script really had me thinking. It's about how we live now, how we wage war now, how we interact as human beings in different parts of the world. People with different backgrounds are all connected," Hood said.

"It's so contemporary and I really wanted to make the film."

Cape Town showed its chameleon colours again, doubling up for various locations.

"This was a real double bonus. It's perfect for shooting in South Africa. We found an area that looks like Surrey for Helen Mirren. We were able to find clubs that look like Vegas and we were able to find areas in Beaufort West that looked like Nevada."

His love for his birthplace was clear and especially the film industry.

"The crews are beyond world class," he said. "I am biased, but they have enthusiasm. Hollywood is very brutal and ego-driven. It was wonderful to be with people who treat others well."

Hood studied law but left for the University of California, Los Angeles, at 29 to study film. "If I wanted to tell stories, I had to study it," he said.

Now 51, he started out as an actor, starring in his first feature film, A Reasonable Man, in 1999.

In 2006 Hood won an Academy Award for Tsotsi. - Jerome Cornelius