Republic of Love
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Fresh from the success of her multiple-Genie-nominated Bollywood/Hollywood, Toronto-based filmmaker Deepa Mehta rolled cameras earlier this month on a big-screen version of Carol Shields' bestseller The Republic of Love - one of several literary adaptations in the works for Triptych Media. It's the story of Tom, a late-night radio talk show host played by the ubiquitous Bruce Greenwood (13 Days, Ararat, Below), and his unlikely pairing with incurable romantic Fay, played by British import Emilia Fox (The Pianist, David Copperfield). Claire Bloom, Jackie Burroughs, Gary Farmer and Fox's real-life father, Edward Fox, also star.
The Canada/U.K. coproduction, made with London-based Dan Films under the banner of The Film Consortium, will be distributed in Canada by Seville Pictures and across the pond by Helkon SK. It's expected to cost $5 million and drew funds from Telefilm Canada, the CTF, The Harold Greenberg Fund, The Movie Network, Super Ecran and Movie Central. Anna Stratton (The Hanging Garden) of Triptych and Julie Baines (The Cat's Meow) of Dan Films produce, and shooting runs in Toronto until late December. A release is planned for next winter.
Meanwhile, producer and Triptych principal Robin Cass has Lee MacDougall reworking his smash play High Life for the big screen, and is currently shopping for a director with executive producer Fred Fuchs. Production starts sometime in 2003 with a budget of $8-million to $10-million.
Fuchs - best known for his work with Francis Ford Coppola on such films as Dracula and The Godfather Part 3 - recently relocated with his family from the U.S. to Toronto.
The Toronto company also has screenwriter John Frizzell (Dance Me Outside, Twitch City) and author Susan Swan reworking her novel The Biggest Modern Woman of the World for the big screen, while producer and Triptych principal Louise Garfield shops for a director. She hopes to go to camera sometime in '03 with a $20-million budget and will follow that with Jefferson Lewis' adapation of Emotional Arithmetic, by Governor General's Award-winner Matt Cohen, to be coproduced with Quebec's BBR Productions.
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National Post
13 December 2002Veteran actress Claire Bloom was in town, then out. Showed up recently to put in a couple of days' work for Deepa Mehta's new film, The Republic of Love, which is based on the great Carol Shields novel.
Bloom, who's been in a bunch of Woody Allen flicks, is the ex-wife of a couple of interesting guys: the late actor Rod Steiger and big-ideas novelist Philip Roth (in the last case, things crashed and burned in a big way, leading to a very public war of words and a hell-hath-no-fury tell-all book on her part). Too bad she couldn't have stayed in Toronto longer. Coulda been fun.
Mehta, whose last film, Bollywood/Hollywood, grossed more than $1-million at the Canadian box office (which in Canada is about as good as it gets), has been fooling around with cameras at a bunch of places over the last little bit: First Canadian Place, the Art Gallery of Ontario and Nathan Phillips Square.
Bruce Greenwood, who, if you'll recall, was perfectly presidential in the Kevin Costner flick 13 days, plays the decidedly non-commander-in-chief male lead in The Republic of Love.
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The Hindu
10 Jan 2003Sportingly Deepa takes time off from her home in Toronto to speak about the two loves of her life, besides her man David and daughter Devyani, that is......
You seem to be consumed by "Bollywood Hollywood"...
And "Republic Of Love". I just finished shooting it. I wrapped it up in less than two months. It overlapped with "Bollywood Hollywood". That was quite crazy. It's a British-Canadian co-production. It stars Bruce Greenwood. He's a Canadian actor based in L.A. He was in "13 Days" and "JFK", quite brilliant. Bruce played the lead along with Amelia Fox of "The Pianist" fame.
What's "Republic Of Love" about?
It's about the various aspects and nature of love. It follows the ups and downs in the relationship of a couple who are together, then they fall out and are together again. It's a romantic drama. I love this film. It should be ready by May 2003. Shooting it simultaneously with "Bollywood Hollywood" did get crowded for me. But if you enjoy something then it's never a problem.
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CSC News
THE REPUBLIC OF LOVE
Koch and Mehta Together AgainDouglas Koch csc was director of photography on The Republic of Love, directed by Deepa Mehta, which wrapped in Toronto last month. Koch also shot Mehta's current hit film Bollywood Hollywood, which has grossed over $1 million in Canada.
The Republic of Love is a story of love and enchantment, set in the coldest of winters, that explores the issues, dilemmas and barriers facing the lucky and unlucky in love in the 21st century. Based on the novel of the same name by best-selling Canadian author Carol Shields, the film stars Bruce Greenwood, Emilia Fox and a supporting cast that includes Claire Bloom, Martha Henry, Jackie Burroughs, Gary Farmer and Edward Fox, who plays Emilia's character's father, a role he also plays in real life.
Deepa Mehta is the internationally acclaimed director of Sam and Me, Fire and Earth. Bollywood Hollywood has been nominated for a 2003 Best Motion Picture Genie Award.
"I was totally enchanted by the novel," Mehta said of The Republic of Love when shooting got under way in early December. "The film will walk the line between the lightness of being and the emotional anxiety associated with love. I want to have fun doing The Republic of Love and making it into a film that's fun to watch. After all, if a film about love can't make us smile and sigh at the same time, what's the point?"
The Republic of Love, a Canada/United Kingdom co-production, is produced by Anna Stratton (The Hanging Garden) and Julie Baines (The Cat's Meow). The screenplay was adapted from the novel by Esta Spalding and Mehta.
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June 2003
Kareena's face is like a shimmering river of emotions: Deepa MehtaMehta has just wrapped up a Hollywood project, which is on the verge of release. "It called Republic Of Love. It is a stylised romantic film starring Bruce Greenwood and Amelia Fox (The Pianist). It will be premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and then be released in October. People seem totally taken by it."