Jessica Swale has an engrossment for magical realism and folklore. Her enthusiasm is so great, she wrote and directed Summerland incorporating into the story.

Summerland is a story of Alice, a reclusive writer, resigned to a solitary life on the seaside cliffs of Southern England while World War II rages across the channel. When she opens her front door one day to find she’s to adopt a young London evacuee named Frank, she’s resistant. It’s not long, however, before the two realize they have more in common in their pasts than Alice had assumed.

The movie stars Gemma Arterton (Byzantium, Quantum of Solace), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Loki, Motherless Brooklyn), Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey, The Best Marigold Hotel), Tom Courtenay (The Aeronauts, Doctor Zhivago) and up and comer Lucas Bond.

Swale’s intention for the film is about the power of love, imagination, and the possibility of magic—even in the darkest times. It reminds us of why imagination is so important to fight for every moment to savor life.

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LRM Online exclusive spoke to Jessica Swale via a video conference call on Zoom. We discussed the lore behind her story and the production at a seaside house.

Summerland is Swale’s directorial debut. Previously, she is a playwright. Her play, “Nell Gwynn,” also starred Arterton and Mbatha-Raw, in which she won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Her first play, “Blue Stockings,” earned her an Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright nomination and now on the GCSE drama syllabus. In 2019, Variety Magazine named her as one of the “Brits to Watch.” Currently, she is working on a screenplay for the film adaptation for Working Title.

IFC Films releases Summerland in select theaters and VOD/digital platforms starting tomorrow, July 31.

Watch the exclusive interview below and let us know what you think.

Source: LRM Online Exclusive, IFC Films