CULTURE

Watch the Trailer of the Upcoming Romantic Drama ‘Ammonite’ Starring Saorise Ronan and Kate Winslet

NEON

A trailer has been released for the upcoming film Ammonite. 

The film takes place in England during the 1800s and tells the story of fossil hunter and paleontologist Mary Anning. The storyline will explore the relationship between Mary, played by Kate Winslet, and geologist Charollete Murchison, who will be played by Saorise Ronan.

The movie was filmed in Lyme Regis, the actual location where Mary Anning lived. The character of Charlotte is a young married woman suffering from melancholia. Her husband offers to pay Mary to have Charollete as her apprentice of sorts. He wants her to take Charollete fossil hunting and learn about what it is that Mary does, all in hopes of curing her.

The director of Ammonite, Francis Lee, has received some criticism regarding the portrayal of Mary Anning’s sexuality, which is historically unconfirmed. It is known that she was never married and that she had strong relationships and collaborations with women within her life and career. Whether these were romantic or strictly platonic relationships is unknown, and so the lesbian romance that Ammonite will portray has some mixed reviews. Below you can see the director’s response.

Regardless of the romance, this film will be a powerful one because it will showcase the lives of working women scientists of the 1800s. The storyline will also serve as an opportunity for representation of WLW relationships that may have occurred behind closed doors during this era.

This film is set to be screened at this year’s Toronto film festival and will be released on November 13.