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Blackbird to open San Sebastian

Roger Michell's Slent Heart remake stars Sarandon and Winslet

by Amber Wilkinson

Blackbird will open San Sebastian
Blackbird will open San Sebastian Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival

The European premiere of Roger Michell's Blackbird - starring Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska and Sam Neill - will open this year's San Sebastian Film Festival on September 20.

The UK/US co-production is a remake of Bille August's Silent Heart (Stilled Hjerte), which saw Paprika Steen pick up the ,ahref="https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/news/2014-09-28-magical-girl-triumphs-in-san-sebastian-news-story-by-amber-wilkinson">Silver Shell for Best Actress at the festival in 2014. The film's original screenwriter Christian Torpe has also penned the English-language version of the film that tells the story of a family gathering to say their last farewells to a terminally ill woman (Sarandon). Winslet and Wasikowska play her daughters, who find family secrets make saying goodbye even more difficult.

Michell was last at the festival with Le Week-End, in 2013, which played in competition and earned Jim Broadbent the Silver Shell for Best Actor.

The festival runs until September 28.

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