Two years after Mark Eidelsteyn’s first English-language role helped him win the Palme d’Or in Anora, the rising Russian star’s next English-language project is back in Cannes and now on the market.
Becoming Capa, from writer/director Charlotte Colbert (She Will) and first announced in Variety, has been acquired by Hanway Films for worldwide distribution and will make the footage available to buyers.
The film, starring Esther McGregor (Babygirl, The Room Next Door) and Adelstein, is described as “a story of love, boldness and rebellion against the backdrop of a world in political turmoil.”
Producers include Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor, Only Lovers Left Alive, The Dreamers), BAFTA nominee Andrea Cornwell (Love Lies Bleeding, Saint Maud, The Wicker) and Chris Carling (The Miracle Club, Falling).
By creating the enigmatic character of an American photographer named Robert Capa, Becoming Capa depicts two tenacious European refugees who fall madly in love and rebel against the broken world around them. Inspired by their participation in the fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War, Gerda Taro and Robert Capa went on to create some of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century, including their famous 1936 photo “Fallen Soldier.”
The film’s supporting cast includes Emily Carey (Geek Girl), William Gao (Heartstoppers), Nabaan Rizwan (Chaos, In Camera), and Pedro Almo. Included are Doval’s muses Rossy de Palma (Parallel Mothers, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), Mathieu Demy (On the Verge, Tomboy), and Bruno Gouly. (“Emily in Paris”), Clémence Poésy (“In Bruges,” “Tenet”), and Danny Huston (“Yellowstone”).
Shot in Spain and Paris with director of photography Pavel Pogorzelski (Hereditary, Midsommar), Oscar-winning production designer Eugenio Caballero (Pan’s Labyrinth), Oscar-winning makeup designer Stephanie Guyon (Substance), and editor Sam Sneed (The Vow, Birth, Sexy Beast), the film has a “contemporary aesthetic and a unique look and feel.”
Gabriel Stewart, CEO of Hanway Films, said: “Charlotte’s beautiful script depicts what it’s like to be young, brave, bold, full of hope and imagination, and fueled by the conviction of love in a time when the world can feel cruel and destructive.” “We’ve assembled a great creative team around her and cast the exciting pairing of Mark and Esther, so we can expect a truly romantic and powerful film when we need it. We can’t wait to share the footage with buyers at Cannes.”
Eydelshteyn is repped by WME’s Jamie Pillette and Stephanie Ritz and Curate’s manager Ana Bedayo. McGregor is repped by WME’s Daniel Molina and Stephanie Ritz, and Underscore Talent manager Rital Spitzer.
