A romantic thriller tracing Islamic jihadists and exploring the ocean's depths in search of the origins of life: Wim Wenders' latest film, "Submergence," relies on his unique sense of place to tell an unusual love story.
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
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Underwater and in the desert: 'Submergence' in images
Known for his striking sense of place and ability to find unique settings for his films, Wim Wenders has released one of his most stunning films to date: "Submergence." A look at the film's unusual locations.
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
A love story between the desert and the sea
A love story that vacillates between two opposing worlds, "Submergence" brings protagonists Danielle Flinders (Alicia Vikander) and James More (James McAvoy) together for the first time in a remote hotel in Normandy where they are both preparing for their respective dangerous missions. They part ways, as James leaves for Somalia to track jihadists and Danny heads into the ocean's depths.
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
A spy on a mission
"Submergence" follows three separate strands. In one, James is a British secret service agent sent to Somalia to track jihadists — though fiction, the story is based on J. M. Ledgard's unique reporting from the Horn of Africa. James' path also intertwines with that of Danny, a bio-mathematician searching for the origins of life in the ocean. The third thread unravels when the couple falls in love.
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Deep-sea diving as existential dilemma
Danny, played by Alicia Vikander ("Anna Karenina"), is a scientist working on a deep-sea diving project. "I was very interested in our lack of perspective of the planet we live on,” said J.M. Ledgard, whose book the film is based on. “It is much bigger than we think it is, much more complicated than we think ... whatever happens to human beings, that life (in the ocean) is going to keep on going."
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Underlying chemistry
Although the couple are only briefly on screen together on location at a secluded hotel in northern France, their love story comprises the heart of the movie and the chemistry between them is palpable. The contrast of the dimly-lit hotel and expansive ocean provides a key backdrop for the rest of the story, with the settings becoming characters themselves.
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Connected by their beliefs
A large part of the plot centers on James' kidnapping while on a trip to Somalia. Although his work for the British secret service is ostensibly very different to Danny's studying of life on the ocean floor, actor James McAvoy saw similarities in their roles. "Danny, my character, the Jihadists – we are all so strongly connected to our beliefs that we are prepared to die for them."
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
"Challenging, intellectual, in the moment"
Alicia Vikander, who plays Danny in the film, said she was taken by the film's unique storytelling style. "It was the best adult romantic story that I had ever read because it dares to be challenging, intellectual, in the moment, and shows how people meet in real life. It allows people to talk, to discuss, to fall for one another almost as though they are challenging one another to fall in love."
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Setting the mood in stunning locations
Shortly after the decision to film the book was made, Wim Wenders was brought on board to direct. While Wenders cites the book's authenticity as a major draw, he imbues the story with his own unique cinematic touch. Filmed over the course of several months in locations as diverse as Normandy and Dijibouti, the film showcases Wenders' inimitable eye for capturing stunning locations.
Image: Samuel Goldwyn Films
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Filmmaker, photographer, playwright, author, opera director: Wim Wenders has worn a number of hats over the course of his illustrious career in the arts. Making his directorial debut with "Summer in the City," in 1970, at the height of New German Cinema, Wenders' films with unique storylines and special emphasis on place are adored by independent cinema fans worldwide.
That combination has taken on an entirely new dimension in Wenders' latest film, "Submergence," which made its global debut in Toronto last year and opens in US theaters on April 13.
Starring Oscar winner Alicia Vikander and James McAvoy, the romantic thriller is based on a novel by journalist J.M. Ledgard. The love story begins when the two protagonists meet in an isolated hotel in the Normandy region of France — a windswept coastal region.
Wenders and production designer Thierry Flamand scoured the continent to find this hideaway, which Wenders recalled as being "utterly beautiful."
British agent James (James McAvoy) and scientist Danny (Alicia Vikander) in the hotel barImage: Samuel Goldwyn Films
"I knew that the entire film depended on finding an absolutely magical place, and we looked for it everywhere in Europe," Wenders said.
While the beating heart of the movie is the love story that takes place within the walls of this private house on the coast of Normandy and its nearby park, it is just one of many locations that give the movie its mood.
After protagonist James, who is on a covert mission for the British secret service, departs for Somalia, the setting becomes barren — a desert wasteland. Filmed in Djibouti, a small nation on the horn of Africa, the movie's thread traces James's kidnapping by Jihadists and the washed out colors allude to the desperation felt by the characters in a country known for its lack of opportunity.
That setting contrasts with that in which protagonist Danielle finds herself, in the coastal town of Brest, in northern France. Danny is a bio mathematician preparing to explore the ocean's depths in search of the origins of life — a literal quest that becomes metaphoric and personal when she learns of James', her new lover's, kidnapping.
'Wings of Desire' made Wenders' an indie fan favoriteImage: Wim Wenders Stiftung 2017
An eye for abandoned places
Although the plotline is based on the book by J.M. Ledgard and a script written by Erin Dignam, the movie flourishes under Wenders' unique direction.
The director, who made a name for himself with indie favorites in the 1980s, including the award-winning "Paris, Texas," and "Wings over Berlin," has an eye for capturing the places that others may overlook. He evidenced that in a recent exhibition of his photographs, which showcase locations in the American southwest that appear desolate, nearly abandoned. Working from that perspective, Wenders brought "Submergence" to a new artistic level that's unseen in standard thrillers or romance stories — a movie worth viewing especially for its fantastic cinematography.
