November 26

Audrey (PG)

Posted by ruthmedia on November 26, 2020 in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Audrey (PG)

Director: Helena Coan

Runtime: 100 minutes

Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Clare Waight Keller, John Lorin, Michael Avedon, Peter Bogdanovich, Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer, Richard Dreyfuss, Molly Haskell, Francesca Hayward, Alessandra Ferri, Keira Moore, Alex Somers

SYNOPSIS: Audrey Hepburn won her first Academy Award at the age of 24, and went on to become one of the world’s greatest cultural icons: a once-in-a-generation beauty, and legendary star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, whose style and pioneering collaboration with Hubert de Givenchy continues to inspire. But who was the real Audrey Hepburn? Malnourished as a child, abandoned by her father, and growing up under Nazi occupation in Holland, Hepburn faced a life-long battle with the traumas of her past, which thwarted her dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, and cast a shadow over her personal life. Yet she found inner peace, using her superstardom for good as a global ambassador for UNICEF, and bringing her life full circle: first a victim of war, then a source of relief to millions.

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOY77nyd6fY

Director Helena Coan [Chasing Perfect (2019)] with her film Audrey, provides an intimate look at one of fashion’s and Hollywood’s biggest stars. This insightful feature documentary goes behind the lens, revealing never-before-seen footage of her life and showcasing the woman behind the icon.

The film is a hybrid of rare archive and intimate interviews, including her son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Givenchy’s former Artistic Director Clare Waight Keller and Tiffany’s Design Director emeritus John Lorin. The film brings to life a truly extraordinary woman, who stands as testament to the power of love and forgiveness.

Audrey Hepburn won her first Academy Award at the age of 24 and went on to become one of the world’s greatest cultural icons: a once-in-a-generation beauty, and legendary star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, whose style and pioneering collaboration with Hubert de Givenchy continues to inspire. But who was the real Audrey Hepburn? The film attempts an answer.

Malnourished as a child, abandoned by her father and growing up under Nazi occupation in Holland, Hepburn faced a life-long battle with the traumas of her past, which thwarted her dreams of becoming a ballet dancer, and cast a shadow over her personal life. Yet she found inner peace using her superstardom for good as a global ambassador for UNICEF and bringing her life full circle: first a victim of war, then a source of relief to millions.

Director Helena Coan says; “The film provides intimate interviews with those who knew her best, woven around rare archival footage. However, we have taken it one step further and worked with multi award- winning British choreographer, Wayne McGregor CBE, to create dance sequences inspired by Audrey’s love of ballet, building a beguiling and emotionally affecting portrait of Audrey. Dance magnifies Audrey’s emotional landscape and brings a heightened sense of drama and theatre to the film, as well as a rich visual language which has not yet been used in documentary.”

Three dancers play Audrey in various stages of her life, including Royal Ballet principal dancer, Francesca Hayward (Cats) who plays ‘Hollywood era Audrey’ at the height of her fame; Alessandra Ferri (one of only 13 dancers ever to receive the title of “prima ballerina assoluta”) who plays Audrey in her later years; and the film also introduces as ‘Young Audrey’, Keira Moore, who was recruited through an audition process at ballet schools. Composer Alex Somers has written an original score inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood composers who scored Audrey’s films.

Several documentaries have been made about Audrey Hepburn in the past, including Audrey Hepburn Remembered and Audrey Hepburn: In Her Own Words, which both came out in 1993 – the year of her death. This documentary uncovers sides of Hepburn less explored, including her difficult upbringing after her father left her family, which led to relationship challenges that lasted throughout her lifetime.

But she was a true humanitarian who overcame her shortcomings, made peace with herself and took childhood trauma and turned it into the love which she never received.

Audrey is a powerful portrait of a conflicted human being, who displayed strength and vulnerability and whose complexities, insecurities, challenges and intricacies made her a force of nature whose presence is still felt worldwide today.

Streaming on digital platforms

Images courtesy of UNIVERSAL