6 years ago, I directed a science fiction film. It was the culmination of a decade thinking, breathing, and living film. I’m very proud of it. I wasn’t always proud of it, but 6 years later, something clicked.
One night, before going to bed, I read a script written by my dear friend Astrid, who happens to be Norwegian. Like M2M. How funny (Joachim Trier summer woo!). Reading her script must have triggered something, because the next morning I woke up knowing exactly what to do with a film I had shelved away, and in just two days, I had a new film, complete with a new trailer.
Special thanks to Agnieszka Kruk, who taught me everything I know about scriptwriting, to Brian Gilbert, who unveiled the mystery of what directing actually is, to Lesley Manning, for being there for me when I needed it most, and to Ian Sellar, who showed me that our words and ideas deserve the same care, attention, and respect as all our heroes.
Shout out to Caroline Webster, my lovely cowriter, for the haunting speech which maketh the film, Matt Vahey for the impeccable cinematography, Jason Houssein for the film’s incredible showpiece, Saul Bragman for the emotive score, Harry Parsons for the epic soundscape, and Alex Garland, whose support meant more to me than he will ever know.
To my wonderful actors, Gabrielle Sheppard, Sam Parkinson, Tania Khan, and Robert Perkins, thank you for your stellar performances. To the Dawn crew, wherever you are in the world, I’m sending all my love, and my deepest gratitude. With SpaceX showing no signs of slowing down, and Bezos’s return from space 6 years after our film was made, my instinct tells me Dawn will stand the test of time just fine.
“But when it all comes together, and you make a good movie… it’s good forever.”
- Patty Leigh, The Studio
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