IF you've read anything by Elena Ferrante, you'll know the pseudonymous Italian author is an expert at capturing the complexities of womanhood. This is exactly what drew Maggie Gyllenhaal to her writing. 'I never heard some of the things that she was writing about articulated before, and I found it really kind of stunning and shocking,' she says.
The famously reclusive author granted permission for the adaptation of The Lost Daughter on the basis that only Maggie could direct it. 'She said it had to be me, which I took as a real vote of confidence,' Maggie says. 'I needed that at the time.' It's evident that Ferrante made a prescient choice: Maggie has turned the author's third novel into a cinematic masterpiece. As a woman director, she is able to capture Leda's experience with unflinching honesty.
'Since there aren't nearly enough women directing, aspects of our experience aren't going to be expressed,' Maggie says. 'I mean, there are men who observe us very well but there are also going to be blind spots, so these personal experiences won't be expressed until women are the people making the movies.'
The Lost Daughter is not only Maggie's first film screenplay, but it's also her feature film directorial debut. The psychological drama centres on Leda, a middle-aged divorced mother who takes a solo vacation on a Greek island, where her interactions with fellow holidaymakers cause her to confront her difficult past. The film was released in select cinemas and on Netflix in the US in December 2021, and has been making waves ever since, winning Maggie the Directors Guild America Award for Best First-Time Feature and bagging Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Breakthrough Director and Outstanding Performance (for Olivia Colman) at the Gotham Awards. Maggie even received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay - an incredible feat considering this was her first attempt at screenwriting.
Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2022 de Fairlady.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición July/August 2022 de Fairlady.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Easter with edge
Grant knows what it's like to miss out on the celebrations that anchor family life.
The MALE bias
Historically, medical studies were mainly done on male mice and on men; and then extrapolated to treat women, as if a female body were just a smaller version of a male one. Here’s why that doesn’t make sense, and how to work with your body’s natural rhythm for better health.
Wellbeing
How to sleep better, feel better and look better!
The other type of CHEATING
Lies about money can have devastating consequences in a relationship.
THE 'PEST' IN PESTICIDES
oe r Despite many highly Hs hazardous pesticides being banned in their countries of origin, 192 of them are still legally exported to South Africa
START A BUSINESS LIKE a Saffer
There's nothing quite like a South African entrepreneur. In the face of adversity, they innovate and persevere. But what fuels that determination? We chatted to some self-starters to find out.
How to take the MONOTONY OUT OF MONOGAMY
It's easy to get complacent in a long-term relationship. Before you know it, your partner is little more than your roommate. Here's how to shake things up.
SUPER TROUPER
At one point, Josie Borain was the most famous model in the world. Her face was on every magazine that mattered. And in the madness of all that attention, she never lost her sense of self. She talks to us about turning 60, being single, and starting her third act with a move to the platteland.
Little wonder
Over the years we have visited 16 Greek islands, but when we first set foot on Halki, the little-known gem just south of Rhodes, we knew we'd found the closest thing to the perfect one. And we vowed to return. Often.
HOME AFFAIRS
These three entrepreneurs are redefining the heartbeat of homes through their unique blend of creativity, sustainability and purposeful design.