Bold Cannes-bound Becoming Capa reimagines Robert Capa's legendary origins
Two years after Mark Eydelshteyn's first English-language role helped "Anora" win the Palme D'or, the rising Russian star's next English-language project is heading back to Cannes, this time to the market.
"Becoming Capa," from writer/director Charlotte Colbert ("She Will") and first announced by Variety, has been acquired for worldwide sales by HanWay Films, which will be showcasing footage to buyers.
Starring Esther McGregor ("Babygirl," "The Room Next Door") and Eydelshteyn, the film is described as a "tale of love, audacity and defiance set against the backdrop of a world in political turmoil."
Producers including by Oscar-winner Jeremy Thomas ("The Last Emperor," "Only Lovers Left Alive," "The Dreamers"), BAFTA-nominee Andrea Cornwell ("Love Lies Bleeding," "Saint Maud," "Wicker") and Chris Curling ("The Miracle Club," "Falling").
"Becoming Capa" follows two tenacious young European refugees who fall madly in love and defy the fractured world around them by creating the enigmatic character of an American photographer called Robert Capa. Inspired to join the fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War, Gerda Taro and Robert Capa went on to shoot some of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century, including the famed 1936 photo "The Fallen Soldier."
The film's supporting cast includes Emily Carey ("Geek Girl"), William Gao ("Heartstopper"), Nabhaan Rizwan ("Kaos, "In Camera"), Pedro Almodovar's muse Rossy de Palma ("Parallel Mothers," "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown"), Mathieu Demy ("On the Verge," "Tomboy"), Bruno Gouery ("Emily in Paris"), Clemence Poesy ("In Bruges," "Tenet") and Danny Huston ("Yellowstone").
Shot in Spain and Paris with cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski ("Hereditary," "Midsommar"), Oscar-winning production designer Eugenio Caballero ("Pan's Labyrinth"), Oscar-winning make-up designer Stephanie Guillon ("The Substance"), and editor Sam Sneade ("I Swear," "Birth," "Sexy Beast") the film is described as having a "contemporary aesthetic and unique look and feel."
"Charlotte's beautiful screenplay captures what it is like to be young, brave, audacious, full of hope and imagination, boosted by the certainty of love, at a time when the world feels brutal and destructive," said Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films. "Having brought together such a wonderful creative team around her and cast the exciting pairing of Mark and Esther, we can look forward to a truly romantic and powerful film, just when we need it. We cannot wait to show buyers footage in Cannes."
