Director Terence Davies is still to secure a theatrical release of wartime drama Sunset Song, though that hasn’t quelled the filmmaker’s enthusiasm to push A Quiet Passion.
Currently among the lineup at Berlinale seeking a distribution deal, Davies’ feature focuses on the life and times of renown American poet Emily Dickinson. Cynthia Nixon takes on the role of the reclusive scribe, with today’s all-too-brief clip showcasing her character opposite Jennifer Ehle and Catherine Bailey’s characters.
At only 58 seconds in length, the snippet is no way representative of the final feature, though it still gives us a fair indication of the film’s quaint aesthetic. Besides, it’s not often that Emily Dickenson – one of the most respected poets of the 19th century – underpins a biopic feature.
A Quiet Passion is currently doing the rounds at the ongoing Berlin Film Festival in search of a distributor. Given Davies and Nixon’s attachment to the period drama, we imagine it won’t find much trouble securing an international release – likely slotting into an awards-friendly window in late 2016.
Who was Emily Dickinson? What kind of a person lurked behind the poet who spent most of her life on her parents’ estate in Amherst, Massachusetts? This mansion provides the setting for a film that portrays an unconventional woman about whose life very little is known. Born in 1803, Dickinson is considered to be a gifted child, but an emotional trauma forces her to give up her studies. The introverted young woman withdraws from society and writes poetry. In spite of her cloistered existence she takes her readers on a journey into the wider world.
