Thirteen-year-old Kíla Lord Cassidy is perched on a sofa. It’s a few hours until the UK premiere of an extraordinary film, The Wonder, in which she co-stars with Florence Pugh. Dressed up for the red carpet, Kíla is pretty as a picture in a pink lace dress smothered with embroidered flowers, her long hair blow-dried into waves and sparkly glitter ballet shoes on her feet. The trouble for the 13-year-old is that she’s too young to legally watch her own film. “It’s a 15,” she says, grinning ear to ear. “I’m not allowed.” The plan is to slope off with her dad and little brother after the red carpet, as the rest of the cast walk into the cinema.
On the sofa beside Kíla is her mum, the Irish actor Elaine Cassidy, beaming, proud as anything. She will be part of that group heading into the premiere because, in an inspired piece of casting by the film’s Chilean director Sebastián Lelio, she plays Kíla’s mother. It’s a small role, but one she couldn’t resist. “To be around that kind of talent, I’d have swept the set. Because my soul has been fed. You know?”
