The first time Steve McQueen and Adam Stockhausen worked together was on the Best Picture-winning period piece “12 Years a Slave,” McQueen having directed the film and Stockhausen serving as production designer. Now, over 12 years into their collaboration and with three films under their belts, the pair celebrated their partnership by accepting the Wavelength Award at IndieWire Honors 2024, presented by host Simon Rex at Citizen News in Hollywood on the evening of Thursday, December 5.
“It’s such an honor to receive this award with Steve tonight,” said Stockhausen as the duo took the stage. “Hard work with great friends is really a joy and thank you so much for seeing that. And being on the same wavelength is really what we all strive to do every single day and it defines to me what it is to be a collaborator, to be listening so hard that you’re trying to tell these stories together by making sure you’re always pulling in the same direction. And when that really works, it’s just spectacular. And I’ve got a great, good fortune to work with Steve on several of his films over the past dozen years or so and I’ve had more than my fair share of those moments. To me, Steve’s work, the way he tells stories, the way he sees the world, the way he makes his art is so extraordinary and honest and brave and true, it’s just my honor every day to help make that vision a reality.”
As Stockhausen passed the mic to McQueen, the filmmaker and visual artist cast a light on a figure missing from the festivities: His first Assistant Director on “Blitz” and longtime collaborator to Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and many more, Adam Somner.
“One of our main collaborators, unfortunately, is no longer here, Adam Somner, who was just an amazing, amazing person, amazing producer, an amazing first AD,” McQueen said. “I first met him at Heathrow Airport. He came up to me and said, ‘Oh, I’d love to collaborate with you.’ I had no idea who this gentleman was. He was a working class British, Londoner fella and I was like, ‘Who’s this dude? Who’s this bloke?’ Then I looked him up and I thought, ‘I need to work with this guy.’”
McQueen reflected on working with Somner as a highlight of his career and how he served as a constant source of support throughout production. Not just for him, but for everyone involved in bringing “Blitz” to life.
“He was such a character, Adam. He was the person who corralled us in the morning. You guys know what it’s like to get to a movie set, 6 o’clock in the morning, make-up, the terrible coffee, the sandwiches or whatever,” McQueen told the crowd at Citizen News. “He was there to boost our morale. He knew everyone. He was the person who basically galvanized us to do our best work. He really was that bass player in the band that basically keeps you in time, the drum that keeps you in time. He was that person. I loved him. I loved him, so, so, so much.”
Somner unfortunately passed away from thyroid cancer on November 27 at the age of 57, having recently served as first AD and producer on Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming film with Leonardo DiCaprio. For McQueen, finding another like Somner is an impossible task and he will forever remember what they were able to create together.
“Collaboration is about love. It’s about finding people who you connect with in such a special way. And we did in an artistic way. We did in a spiritual way. We did in a way in which you want to have on a film set, because often, not every day, but often you can create magic and we would look at each other and we would smile and we would wink and we would nod,” he said. “And it was just so beautiful to be in a space, in a place of magic with Adam Somner, so this is for Adam. I love you, brother, and I’m so sorry you’re not here, but you will always be in my beating heart. I love you.”
Watch McQueen and Stockhausen’s full speech above, and check out all of our IndieWire Honors coverage right here.
“Blitz” is now streaming on Apple TV+.
