Director shares how Orkney locals changed ‘mesmerising’ Saoirse Ronan film (Image: STUDIOCANAL)
Director Nora Fingscheidt has opened up about the formidable obstacles her crew faced while producing the acclaimed drama The Outrun in some of the most secluded locations across the British Isles.
With Saoirse Ronan leading the cast, this gripping new drama tells the story of a young woman grappling with the aftermath of rehab as she returns to her roots on Scotland’s Orkney Islands.
Drawing inspiration from Amy Liptrot’s incisive memoir, which delves into her personal addiction battles, the film explores Rona, portrayed by Ronan, as she strives to reclaim her life amidst the static friction between her home environment and the intense dynamics with her parents.
The usually serene and undisturbed backdrop of the Orkney Islands presented unique challenges due to its infrequent interactions with movie crews, forcing Fingscheidt and her team to employ nimble innovation while honouring Liptrot’s narrative.
Fingscheidt admitted to Screen Time: “It is challenging to film there, to be honest, because there isn’t really any sort of resources for filming bigger movies.
Saoirse Ronan portrays a young woman experiencing life before and after rehab (Image: STUDIOCANAL)
“There’s lots of very skilled local fixers and nature photographers, but of course we had to improvise in order to set up a movie set production”, reports the Irish Star.
Despite these hurdles, she also acknowledged the extraordinary local engagement: “On the other hand, that is also the great benefit because people were so curious and they were supporting us and we got all kinds of support in front of the camera and behind the camera.”
“But it was a little bit like an adventure the more remote we went, because filming on the mainland is still relatively easy, but then filming on a tiny remote island Papa Westray is really challenging because you can’t get a truck on the island and you can only get a hostel with 12 beds so we had to stay with locals in their private houses. That really became a fantastic, almost like a team-bonding, creative experience.
“I think, also, the content of the movie changed and was influenced by the locals.”
Director Fingscheidt disclosed that “many” of the Orkney locals were not just bystanders but actively participated as actors in the film, taking on small yet pivotal supporting roles. “Actors, extras and also behind the camera, in all departments, everywhere,” she elaborated.
Ronan gives one of the best performances of the year (Image: STUDIOCANAL)
The director, who co-wrote the script with Liptrot and Ronan, shared how the memoir’s original author had some quite surreal encounters when she visited the set during filming and viewed the playback.
“She told me, the day we finished shooting, she was very, very relieved because it always came with a certain anxiety every morning to watch this meta version of a meta version of her life,” Fingscheidt recounted.
Liptrot herself found the process disorienting, watching an interpretation of her life unfold, blurring the lines between reality and cinema: “She watched us sort of playing a version of herself who’s not really her, and at some points she wasn’t even sure which were her memories or which were the images she had just seen and it all blurred together. I think it was a very, very bizarre experience.”
The Outrun was a labour of love for Ronan, who often found herself performing solo, a departure from her usual ensemble work in acclaimed films like The Grand Budapest Hotel or Brooklyn.
The film was adapted from the hard-hitting memoir by Amy Liptrot (Image: STUDIOCANAL)
“It was an adventure for her because it’s also the first time producing,” the director elaborated.
“And so that means the film really means a lot to her and is her baby as much as it is mine or Amy’s. She owns it and that comes with a lot of passion for the project but also a lot of responsibility. It’s rare you have access to an actress of that level. It was really great and intense.
“Some parts of it were new to her in terms of playing somebody who messes up things, who doesn’t have anything under control, who isn’t the smart one amongst weird people. No, she’s the one who destroys it all.
“I think that is something she hadn’t really done before, to that extent. But, that is also the wonder and the beauty of the creative challenge, to do something that you haven’t done before. So I thought it was really exciting for her and a fantastic experience working with her.”
The Outrun is still showing in UK cinemas and is also available for purchase or rental on digital platforms, making it a must-see for fans of Ronan’s recent performances in films like Blitz or See How They Run.
Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian was captivated by her performance, describing it as “mesmerising” and noting, “In every shot and every scene, mostly in closeup, Ronan carries the film with her unselfconsciously fierce and focused presence.”
He also praised her skill in portraying a challenging role, stating, “Out-of-control-drunk acting in montage is a difficult thing to bring off as is the representation of precarious sobriety but she does it with intelligence and plausibility.”
We believe that The Outrun is one of the hidden gems of 2024, so be sure to mark it on your watchlists.
The Outrun is in UK cinemas now and you can rent or buy it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV or the Sky Store.