Dame Kristin Scott Thomas is to make her directorial debut on ‘The Sea Change’.
The 56-year-old British actress – famous for her roles in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ and ‘The English Patient’ – is to step behind the camera for the romantic drama, which is based on the acclaimed 1959 novel of the same title by Elizabeth Jane Howard.
The story focuses on the struggling marriage of Emmanuel, a successful London playwright, and his "witty" wife Lillian with all their problems coming to a head when they find themselves thrown together with a group of people on a remote Greek island.
It has been adapted for the screen by British writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz.
In a statement confirming her involvement in the project, Kristin said: "Sidney Pollack told me that actors are naturally good filmmakers, and I want to make a film to continue my trajectory as a storyteller. ‘The Sea Change’ asks a question I have been trying to answer in many of my performances – what are the reasons for the thrills and difficulties of love? I want to make a film that has depth, humour and beauty."
As well as directing the movie, Kristin is to star as Lillian with Mark Strong in talks to play Emmanuel and shooting is scheduled to begin later this year on location in Europe and the UK.
Discussing why she was so keen to direct ‘The Sea Change’, Kristin said: "I first read this novel 40 years ago. It was a beautifully complex story of four people of different ages trying to figure out what to do with the cards life had dealt them. Its multilayered and nuanced approach meant that each time I re-read it over the course of my life I identified with different characters – and felt that this would be the ideal premise for a film. Rebecca’s script perfectly captures the novel’s theme of exploring how and why we love."
Producer Barnaby Thompson – who worked on ‘An Ideal Husband’ – said: "Kristin and I were having lunch, talking about this project we’d develop. I said, ‘Why don’t you direct it’? She got all excited. She’s ready for a fresh challenge.
"It’s a proper, sophisticated, grownup love story about a couple who are facing a moment of crisis, and partly inspired by this girl who comes into their lives, they rediscover each other. It’s very real. Anyone of a certain age knows how hard marriage is. It’s a very touching, real portrait of a marriage."
Kristin Scott Thomas to make directorial debut on The Sea Change
