03/09/2008

Yet another very enthusiastic response greeted the ninth Venice Days title on the Lido, Broken Lines, the feature debut by acclaimed television and theatre director Sallie Aprahamian.

The film tells the story of Jake (Dan Fredenburgh of The Bourne Ultimatum and Love Actually [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), who has distanced himself from his Jewish background, and Becca (Doraly Rosa), the woman he meets when he returns to his multi-ethnic, working-class neighbourhood after the death of his father. Both are involved in frustrating relationships, in particular Becca who must tend to her semi-paralyzed boyfriend (Paul Bettany of The Da Vinci Code and Dogville [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), and soon begin an affair.

Fredenburgh and Rosa began writing the script, their first, in 2004, additionally developing it with Catherine Wearing before bringing it to Aprahamian two years ago. “They brought me a script different from the final film,” said the director, “but the main ideas are all the same. I really liked the screenplay because it was so emotional and so different from my experiences in television.”

While the accomplished screenwriter-actors come from similar backgrounds and are both of Jewish origin, the intimate film about, according to the director, “obsession, voyeurism and passion” does not come from their personal experiences. Said Fredenburgh: “The story is not autobiographical but is hopefully universal, to which everyone can relate.”

“For me making the film was important because London is so multi-cultural. I grew up surrounded by that but had never seen Jewish or other cultures portrayed in an honest way on film,” Rosa added.

Fredenburgh further called Aprahamian an “actor’s director who is driven by characters,” and was moved to see “everything that we had envisioned in our heads for years come to life so realistically.”

Douglas Cummins produced the £1.1m film for Axiom Films, in co-production with Aria Films and Matador Pictures, all from the UK.