All Doha Tribecca Film Festival 2012 Films

What Maisie Knew (What Maisie Knew)

Contemporary World Cinema - Doha Tribecca Film Festival 2012

David Siegel, Scott McGehee / Feature Narrative / United States of America / 2012 / 95 min / Colour / HDCAM / In English / Arabic subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance is advised for viewers under the age of 13. Individuals under the age of 13 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or older.

Synopsis

A century-old story by Henry James is given new life in this retelling set in modern-day New York City. When six-year-old Maisie’s rock’n’roll mother (Julianne Moore) and art-dealer father (Steve Coogan) divorce, both quickly move on to younger, attractive new partners. Dad takes up with the nanny (Joanna Vanderham), while Mom marries a handsome young bartender (Alexander Skarsgård). As Maisie is shuffled back and forth between Manhattan apartments, her awareness of the world around her grows – along with her understanding that her parents are careless and self-centred.We stay with Maisie throughout the film, with each scene unfolding from her perspective as she deftly navigates the complexities of the adult relationships around her. A beautifully melancholy portrait is drawn through Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s keenly observed direction and an unforgettable performance by young Ondata Aprile.

Official Film Website

About the Director

Scott McGehee and David Siegel have co-written and co-directed four films: ‘Suture’ (1993); ‘The Deep End’ (2001); ‘Bee Season’ (2005); and ‘Uncertainty’ (2009). McGehee was born in 1962 in California, studied at Columbia University and planned to be an academic, while Siegel crossed America the other way: born in Brooklyn, he studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and was planning to become a painter. They met while in graduate school at Berkeley.

Scott McGehee and David Siegel have co-written and co-directed four films: ‘Suture’ (1993); ‘The Deep End’ (2001); ‘Bee Season’ (2005); and ‘Uncertainty’ (2009). McGehee was born in 1962 in California, studied at Columbia University and planned to be an academic, while Siegel crossed America the other way: born in Brooklyn, he studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and was planning to become a painter. They met while in graduate school at Berkeley.

Credits

Director

David Siegel, Scott McGehee

Screenwriter

Nancy Doyne, Carroll Cartwright

Producer

Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Daniel Crown, William Teitler, Charles Weinstock

Editor

Madeleine Gavin

Music

Nick Urata

Cinematographer

Giles Nuttgens

Other

Henry James

Cast

Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård, Onata Aprile, Joanna Vanderham, Steve Coogan

Contacts

• Distributor

  Rami Sannan

  Company: 

  Falcon Films

  Phone: 

  +961 174 7282

• Print Source

  Laura Talsma

  Company: 

  Fortissimo Films

  Phone: 

  +31 206 273 215

• Sales Contact

  Winnie Lau

  Company: 

  Fortissimo Films

  Phone: 

  +31 206 273 215

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