Lee, the full-length feature debut by director Ellen Kuras, has been in the making for over nine years as that's when star/co-producer Kate Winslet came up with the idea to bring the inspirational story of war photographer Lee Miller to life. Now, the movie is finally ready to move and inspire the audience as Lee hits UK cinema on the 13th of September. To ensure that the feature became as touching and tear-jerking as it is, Winslet and Kuras didn't only work together with acclaimed composer Alexandre Desplat but also a star-studded cast including Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård and Josh O'Connor.
Lee Miller wasn't a woman you wanted to mess with. She was headstrong, courageous and not afraid to stand up for what she wanted, even if that meant hurting people close to her. After pursuing a profession in modelling, she embarked on a new career, one in war photography. Throughout her job, she didn't only have to battle against the enemies but also against the prejudices of society against women. If there's one thing Miller didn't do, it was give up, which resulted in engrossing portraits of everyone affected by war. From the nurses doing an unbearable job to the wounded soldiers and from the prisoners of war to dying children, Lee's photos were and still are of vital importance to the world. Together with her colleague, American photographer and Life correspondent, David E. Scherman, and Withers, she brought the horrific war closer to home.
The most horrific but also heartbreaking scene between Riseborough's character and Winslet's Lee is undoubtedly their last scene. Not only because of the magnificent performances of both actresses but also because of the unveiling of a secret Miller had to carry with her for almost her entire life. According to Riseborough, filming that scene was “probably some of the hardest day work because of having to spend such a very long time with such horrific images, which we were looking at all the way through the process of capturing the scene, which was a whole day.”
FILMHOUNDS spoke to Riseborough, who's giving us a terrific performance as Audrey Withers, the head of Vogue magazine at the time and Miller's collaborator/friend. Check out our full interview here:
Lee is out in UK cinemas on September 13 courtesy of Sky Cinema
