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On April 30th, 1945, the day Hitler committed suicide in his Berlin bunker, Lee Miller took a picture of herself sitting naked in the bathtub in the Führer’s abandoned apartment in Munich.
The scene of that photoshoot comes near the end of Lee, a biopic of Elisabeth “Lee” Miller, directed by Ellen Kuras, with Kate Winslet as the daring, and very exposed, photojournalist.
Lee came about by chance after Winslet bought a table that belonged to the sister of Roland Penrose, Lee’s artist husband. Learning more about Lee’s story, Winslet became obsessed about turning it into a film, with the help of Lee’s son, Antony Penrose.
The production lasted over eight years. At one point, Winslet personally covered the expenses for the entire cast and crew for two weeks.
In addition to playing Lee on screen, Winslet played a crucial role in casting the film, calling in favors from actor friends such as Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgård and Marion Cotillard. The creative team, made up of top-level professionals like cinematographer Pawel Edelman (The Pianist), production designer Gemma Jackson (Game of Thrones), and costume designer Michael O’Connor (Jane Eyre) worked with great dedication to ensure the film’s authenticity, taking care of even the smallest details, including the faithful reconstruction of the original clothes worn by Miller.
Born in New York in 1907, after a modeling career for Vogue and Vanity Fair, Lee Miller studied photography in Paris with Man Ray and then opened a studio. The turning point in her life came when she met Roland Penrose in Cairo. She followed him to London, where she began working as a war correspondent for British Vogue, bringing the public a unique testimony of war and human suffering.
It’s this part of her life that Lee focuses on, during World War II, when Lee documented the conflict with powerful images and artistic portraits that established her as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century photography.
Winslet’s portrayal of Lee is garnering major awards buzz, and the Oscar-winner has already picked up a Golden Globe best actress nomination for the role. She met with The Hollywood Reporter Rome to talk about the struggled of making an independent movie and the inspiration she takes from Lee Miller’s example as a woman succeeding in a male-dominated world.
I read that the film took eight years to make and that, due to financial difficulties, you personally covered two weeks of wages for the entire cast and crew. What was the need to tell Lee Miller’s story today?
Lee Miller was a woman who contributed enormously to the visual documentation of the truths about the Nazi regime. She was one of the first photojournalists and, despite being a woman, she managed to make her way in male-dominated environments. Without her, we might not have those extraordinary images documenting what happened to the voiceless victims of conflicts. These photographs are of immense historical importance and continue, even today, to reveal many truths to us. Independent filmmaking has always been extremely difficult, and I am no exception to this reality. Sometimes it is necessary to come together, channel collective energy, and be determined to tell your story in a sensitive, authentic, and meaningful way. I consider myself very lucky to be surrounded by an incredible team of people, many of whom I have known since I was 19, 22, 25, and with whom I have built lasting relationships. Our extraordinary actors became a fundamental part of this. I was very fortunate to have all these wonderful people supporting this project. It was a truly memorable experience for everyone.
In your opinion, compared to the progress made since World War II, what is still missing for the full empowerment of women?
I think we have to remember that 80 years ago, Lee Miller was already redefining femininity, giving it a meaning that today, as women, we fully recognize. She was redefining femininity to represent resilience, strength, courage, determination, and compassion. It is so important: it is how we are raising our girls, it is how we are in our friendships and our personal relationships today. She led all of this with integrity and grace, and I was incredibly inspired by her. Her courage to move from behind the camera and put herself in front of it to become the iconographic voice for all those victims, I think, was very important. I believe her story continues to remain relevant even today because, without her, we would not have that kind of reportage where we are really given access to what happens in the shadows.
Lee was able to go and witness; she was really there to do a job that was important to her. She never turned her back, never ran away, never went home, she stayed. She could have gone home, but she didn’t. I think we need to look to people like her for inspiration and leadership. She was a phenomenally courageous figure, and it was a privilege to be able to tell her story.
In the past, you have already played the role of a woman from World War II in The Reader. How has your way of interpreting characters changed over the years?
I think I enjoy my work more and more, and I am more grateful for it every day. It keeps my spirits high and brings me so much joy. I think my approach has remained unchanged: either you do it to the best of your ability or you abstain. This is my motto. I say it to myself more and more because it is important for me to do a good job, to be a good colleague, to be a collaborative partner. I am truly grateful to still be a part of this industry, which I have been involved in for 32 years. I can’t believe it; I have been very lucky.
Check out THR Roma‘s Kate Winslet interview below:
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