US actor Robin Wright is perhaps best known for her role as Claire Underwood in Netflix’s acclaimed political drama series ‘House of Cards’. Her directorial debut ‘Land’ recently made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday.
The film follows the character of Edee, played by Wright, who after suffering a grave personal tragedy decides to live in isolation in a dilapidated cabin in Wyoming, far from civilization. Without a cell phone, internet or even a car, Edee attempts to learn the basics of hunting in a bid to survive.
“Why make this movie?… It’s a reminder that we do need each other,” Wright said, at a Q&A at the festival.
“We do face adversity, and it’s generally the compassion and kindness of another person that gets us through that difficult time… I think we all can resonate with that right now.”
Despite working as a director for 10 episodes on ‘House of Cards’, Wright noted that the remote location of the film (Alberta, Canada) posed several unforeseen challenges for the cast and crew. For the 29 days that shooting was underway, a log cabin at 8,000 feet was constructed.
“We had one day of summer, and then all of a sudden it just turned into winter,” she said. “And so we had to shoot 10 to 15 (scenes)… in one day. But it was doable.”
A scene featuring a bear confronting Edee couldn’t be shot on the mountain, as the crew feared the trained animal could potentially encounter real wild bears.
Despite the hurdles, her film has been described by Variety as ‘a beautiful haiku’.
The movie is slated to have a limited theatrical release on February 12. Indie film festival Sundance itself is currently taking place online this year, with all 72 feature films making their premieres via video conferencing.
