Film a family affair for Rampling

Charlotte Rampling showed it was a family affair as she stepped onto the red carpet with her son Barnaby Southcombe at the BFI London Film Festival.

Barnaby is making his debut as a film director and writer with new movie I, Anna and he decided to keep the cast close to home.

Charlotte plays a femme fatale in the thriller, which is based on Elsa Lewin's novel of the same name.

She said: "It is fantastic to be here with my son tonight and very moving, it's a really heightened emotional moment because we have travelled with this film to festivals around the world and this is probably the last one we will be at before the film opens and it's here in London."

The 66-year-old said she never imagined she would star in a film directed by her own son but, when it happened, she said she knew it was a "beautiful idea" and she instantly took to the character.

Barnaby said he would not have chosen anyone else to play his leading lady.

"She (Rampling) is a very collaborative person as are a lot of the actors I worked with, so I was blessed with that, it was a very collaborative process," he said.

Captain America star Hayley Atwell plays the role of Charlotte's daughter in the film and Sherlock Holmes star Eddie Marson plays a detective. Charlotte and Hayley hit the big screen together back in 2008 in The Duchess starring Keira Knightley.

The Usual Suspects star Gabriel Byrne plays DCI Bernie Reid who becomes enchanted by Anna while he investigates the mystery of a man brutally murdered. I, Anna is in cinemas on December 9.