Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s “Femme” has released a teaser and poster ahead of its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in the Panorama section on Sunday. The film stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay, and international sales are being handled by Anton.
The story revolves around Jules, a drag queen who becomes the victim of a homophobic attack that ruins his life and career. When he unexpectedly encounters his attacker, the deeply-closeted Preston, in a gay sauna, Jules sees an opportunity for revenge. By going undercover and disguising himself without his usual wig and make-up, Jules infiltrates Preston’s life and discovers a new source of power through a different kind of drag.
The directors stated that their inspiration for “Femme” originated from their aspiration to subvert the traditional hyper-masculine tropes of neo-noir thrillers. By featuring a queer protagonist as the central figure in their tale of vengeance, they sought to bring a fresh perspective to a genre they adore, but have frequently felt ostracized from.
Femme teaser from Anton Corp Limited on Vimeo.
As the filmmakers delved into the production of the film, they found that the concept had transformed into something more profound in its reach. The team recognized that subverting traditional, heterosexual-centric themes through a queer lens was an excellent vehicle for examining and challenging notions of sexuality, masculinity, patriarchy, and identity.
Agile Films produced the movie with backing from Anton and BBC Film. Myles Payne and Sam Ritzenberg serve as producers, while Hayley Williams and Dimitris Birbilis are the co-producers.
The directors, who won the BIFA award and received a BAFTA nomination for their short film “Femme,” featuring Paapa Essiedu and Harris Dickinson, also premiered it at SXSW. Their debut feature is also titled “Femme.”
Sam H. Freeman has extensive experience working in television, with his most recent credit being the creation of a pilot for his original series in collaboration with Bad Wolf and HBO Max. His other television credits include writing for “Industry” (HBO/Bad Wolf), “This Is Going to Hurt” (BBC/Sister Pictures), and “The Power” (Amazon/Sister Pictures). Disney purchased his first original series, “Unmasked.”
Ng Choon Ping recently directed a new version of Strindberg’s “Miss Julie” at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and he also directed “Macbeth” at the Bristol Old Vic. Over the last ten years, he has directed at London’s National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the Young Vic.