First Look At Luc Besson’s New Film The Lady

Luc Besson has been particularly secretive about any new project he’s been working on, now we finally hear about this project called The Lady with the release of a few stills. The film is a drama about Burmese democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, an extraordinary woman who led an opposition against the military power in Burma.

As a result she was placed under house arrest for nearly 15 years having only just been released in November. The exclusive at The Guardian reveals that the film will be set between the years of 1988 and 1999 where she moved from being a housewife in Oxford to political activist back in her native country. The title is based on what Suu Kyi was called in Burma after her name was made a taboo by the government.

The film stars Michelle Yeoh who plays the lead role said of the project and Suu Kyi herself.

You feel a real sense of calm when you’re with her. She’s a very striking figure. She is so proud of her culture and the best way to show it is with dignity and elegance. She has a glow and an aura about her.

Yeoh is a terrific actress and an incredibly charismatic screen presence, she has superb command of the screen in both her native Chinese and English language roles. It could be a remarkable and Oscar worthy performance.

The film is a fascinating choice for French director Luc Besson, who is more known for his action films but no stranger to strong female characters, from Matilda in Leon to Nikita. He said of the project:

It is the fight of a woman without any weapons, just her kindness and her mentality. She is very Gandhi like. She says we should have the right to decide our future, we should have the right to express ourselves. She is asking for things we all have and don’t even think about any more. How often in history do you have a person, a woman, who never curses, never steals anything, never does anything illegal and you put her under house arrest for 24 years, it is just insane.

It sounds really interesting and we will definitely be keeping you updated with information on this. More stills can be found below.

All stills are courtesy of The Guardian