Orla Barry recently sat down to talk with Susanne Bier about her upcoming film Serena and what it's like to be a female director in Hollywood.

Serena stars Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in a story about a newlywed couple running a timber business in 1930s America.

The film has been long delayed in production, and was originally to be directed by Darren Aranofsky with Angelina Jolie starring. But when Bier came on board she had her sights on Lawrence to fill the lead role, with both women later suggesting that Cooper would be a perfect fit for the role of timber baron George Pemberton.

Bier describes Lawrence as fearless, giving the example of her confidence when dealing with an eagle, which makes an appearance in the film, on set.

As one of a relatively small amount of female directors in the movie business, Bier is well aware of the difficulties that women face in the industry. 

She also spoke about the difficult choice that women have to make between continuing their career and having a family.

Serena will be released in Irish cinemas next Friday.