#OnTheBigScreen: Women in Love, Obsession, Revenge and Kidnapping

The Lost City of Z

Based on author David Grann’s non-fiction bestseller, The Lost City of Z tells the incredible true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), who journeys into the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century and discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilisation that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific establishment who regard indigenous populations as ‘savages’, the determined Fawcett — supported by his devoted wife (Sienna Miller), son (Tom Holland) and aide-de-camp (Robert Pattinson) — returns time and again to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case, culminating in his mysterious disappearance in 1925. An epically scaled tale of courage and passion, told in writer/director James Gray’s (The Yards, The Immigrant, Two Lovers) classic filmmaking style, The Lost City of Z is a stirring tribute to the exploratory spirit and a conflicted adventurer driven to the verge of obsession.

“As The Lost City of Z made its long and arduous journey to the screen, the film became something of an obsession for me – fitting, I suppose, given its subject. Percy Fawcett’s preoccupation with the Amazon and its peoples was motivated by many factors, and his story is marked by incredible twists and turns, but when I read David Grann’s book, one idea struck me as particularly worthy of exploration: here was a person for whom the search meant everything. His dream of finding an ancient Amazonian civilisation sustained him through unimaginable hardships, the scepticism of the scientific community, startling betrayals and years spent away from his family.

It may be hard for us today to imagine a world in which there were still broad swaths of uncharted land, but some things have not changed since the dawn of the 20th century. For me, the most universal and timeless theme that runs through The Lost City of Z is that, as Fawcett says in the film, “we are all made of the same clay.” One only needs to turn on the news to see that the human struggle to transcend differences has, lamentably, lost none of its relevance,” said Gray.

My Cousin Rachel

A dark and layered romance, My Cousin Rachel tells the story of a young Englishman who plots revenge against his mysterious and beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian.  His feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling helplessly and obsessively in love with her.

Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, the film is written for the screen and directed by Roger Michell, (Notting Hill, Hyde Park On Hudson), who was born in South Africa and as a child lived in Beirut, Damascus and Prague.

Key to Michell’s adaptation is his decision to fully embrace the novel’s thrilling ambiguity, the spell of which du Maurier never breaks.  The story is the search for the truth, a search that delightfully torments the reader, torments Philip… and still continues to haunt the film’s final moments.

“I think if you absolutely know one way or the other what Rachel has done, the story doesn’t work. It’s exciting to make a film where part of the fun is knowing that people will leave the theatre debating… did she or didn’t she?  I hope people love the mystery of that as much as I do.  And I hope they enjoy going on a rollercoaster-ride with this ill-matched couple who are thrown into a kind of emotional washing machine and find themselves churned about as they try to puzzle out each other’s motives, assumptions, values, and each other’s sense of truth,” says Michell.

Below Her Mouth

Below Her Mouth is a bold, uninhibited drama that begins with a passionate weekend affair between two women. Dallas, a roofer and Jasmine, a fashion editor, share a powerful and immediate connection that inevitably derails both of their lives. The film stars Canadian actress, Natalie Krill and Swedish model, Erika Linder.

Made entirely by women, Below Her Mouth is written by Stephanie Fabrizi and directed by April Mullen (88, Dead Before Dawn). In working to deliver the naked truth of the intimacy between Jasmine and Dallas, Mullen found her biggest challenge. The original intention of the film is the female perspective and that was her guiding light, but she also wanted to forge a genuinely new path rather than fall back on derivative imagery. Mullen’s private battleground became the choreography of the multiple love scenes, because every time she devised a shot list, she experienced creative déjà vu.

“As a creator, I strive to return to an inner place and my own experiences. It was a constant tug of war to avoid love scenes I’d seen in Hollywood films, which were from the male perspective, or what I’ve been dictated to about love and how lovemaking should happen. I constantly had to shake my head and try to think of fresh ways that were honest for me and honest about what happens behind closed doors between two women,” said Mullen.

Mullen was able to advance her craft in a new and unexpected way.

“I think love is something that’s always intangible, until you see it or feel it. I come from a background of directing action-thrillers which rely on fast editing, a visual aesthetic, or squibs, explosions and guns. I have been longing to explore and share a very intimate story of beautiful, simple moments, and to that end, I was able to draw from the two actresses’ performances where they completely let go of who they used to be and become someone new together,” continued Mullen.

Son of Bigfoot

In Son Of Bigfoot, teenage outsider Adam sets out on an epic and daring quest to uncover the mystery behind his long-lost dad, only to find out that he is none other than the legendary Bigfoot! He has been hiding deep in the forest for years to protect himself and his family from HairCo., a giant corporation eager to run scientific experiments with his special DNA. As father and son start making up for lost time after the boy’s initial disbelief, Adam soon discovers that he too is gifted with superpowers beyond his imagination, but little do they know, HairCo. is on their tail as Adam’s traces have led them to Bigfoot!

This Belgian CGI-animated film is directed by Ben Stassen and Jeremy Degruson.

Snatched

When her boyfriend dumps her, Emily (Amy Schumer), a spontaneous woman in her 30s, persuades her ultra-cautious mom (Goldie Hawn), to accompany her on a vacation to Ecuador in the action comedy Snatched. At Emily’s insistence, the pair seek out adventure, but suddenly find themselves kidnapped. When these two very different women are trapped on this wild journey, their bond as mother and daughter is tested and strengthened while they attempt to navigate the jungle and escape.

Directed by Jonathan Levine and written by Amy Schumer, Katie Dippold, and Kim Caramele.

Snatched is not only a journey from New York to the jungles of the Amazon, it is an emotional and hilarious exploration of the ever-evolving relationship between a mother and her daughter.

“I think in the beginning, she thinks that she’s doing her mom a favour by forcing her to go on this trip.  She thinks she’s going to help her and it’s going to be a great adventure. I think deep down, Emily looks at how her mom is living and doesn’t want to end up like that.  She thinks if she can make her mom have this awesome life, then that will make her feel better about her future.  She then realises that she’s a pretty selfish person,” says Katie Dippold, screenwriter.

Read more about the latest releases: www.writingstudio.co.za.