Opening Night Gala: Fugitive Pieces
Director/Writer: Jeremy Podeswa
Producer: Robert Lantos
Cast: Stephen Dillane, Rade Sherbedgia, Rosamund Pike, Ayelet Zurer, Robbie Kay, Ed Stoppard, Rachelle Lefevre
Distributor: Maximum Film
International Sales: Maximum Film International

Jeremy Podeswa splits his time between Hollywood and Toronto, working primarily on prestige TV shows in L.A., but it is the director’s passion for cinema that will mark his triumphant return to his film roots in Toronto for the opening-night TIFF gala with the daring Fugitive Pieces.

It’s a worthy accolade for the long-awaited adaptation of Anne Michaels’ award-winning poetic novel about memory, love and loss – a story, says Podeswa, that ‘cuts across boundaries, genders and languages.’

‘I thought it was one of the most beautiful and poetic things I’d ever read,’ enthuses the director, who also penned the script. ‘But it was completely accessible as well. I thought it would make an amazing movie.’

The film and book combine the intimate life journey of Jakob, a young Jewish boy (played by Robbie Kay and, as an adult, by Stephen Dillane), with the epic sweep of history, as he moves from Europe – torn apart by World War Two and the Holocaust – to late-’40s Toronto and then, years later, back to Greece.

Serendipity Point Films producer Robert Lantos and Podeswa see Fugitive Pieces as a personal project. Neither wanted to make another ‘Holocaust film’.

Jakob’s life takes on many twists, but he only survives the Nazis due to the kindness of Athos (Rade Sherbedgia), a Greek scientist.

‘It tells a story of man’s humanity to man,’ Lantos tells Playback. ‘I’m personally fascinated by stories of Christians [like Athos] who put themselves at risk in order to rescue Jews. In the midst of all the savagery, then and now, it’s those acts of human kindness that are worth shedding light on, [and] working hard to bring to audiences,’ says Lantos, referring the lengthy period it took to get the script to screen.

Despite his enthusiasm for the film, Lantos was initially reticent about its potential.

‘I didn’t think there was any chance that this book, given its very complex narrative structure and the fact that it is so layered with fragments of time and interlaid with poetry, could be made into a film,’ admits the producer. ‘I read Jeremy’s script with great reluctance. He proved that I was wrong. At that point, I made a deal.’

Having Lantos on board as the producer was the turning point for Podeswa, who only seriously began to work on making Fugitive Pieces happen after he scored a success with the Genie and TIFF award-winning feature The Five Senses in 1999. When Lantos bought into Podeswa’s vision, ‘it suddenly seemed very real,’ says the director.

Still, Lantos points out, ‘It was a beginning of a road map to actually accomplishing this [film]. We optioned the material, and then came five years of rewriting – during which time Jeremy was working in television – until I felt that all the wrinkles had been ironed out.’

During those long years, Podeswa got to know Michaels and the world she created very well. ‘I wanted to capture its essence,’ stresses the director.

When the film finally started to shoot, he impressed upon his cast that they should read the novel and get to know Michaels, who generously acted as an advisor.

‘The book was always my touchstone. I felt that it would fill in any gaps that the actors might have,’ he says.

Joining the Croatian Sherbedgia and Brits Kay and Dillane in the international cast are fellow Brit Rosamund Pike, Bulgarian Nina Dobrev, Greek Themis Bazaka, and Canadians Rachelle Lefevre and Jennifer Podemski.

‘Everybody embraced the book, embraced the screenplay – embraced the whole package. They all found their way [into the story], and my job as director became very simple,’ says Podeswa.