Saoirse Ronan’s filmography exudes a stunning range.
From the iconic titular character in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird to her recent endeavors as Rona in The Outrun, Ronan is no stranger to powerhouse female characters. On Thursday, the 62nd annual New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center premiered her most recent film, Steve McQueen’s Blitz, where she sets out to tell another cunning story.
Directed by the acclaimed Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), the film is an authentic portrayal of London during the World War II blitzkrieg and showcases McQueen’s immense directorial prowess. Focusing on the story of Rita (Saoirse Ronan), a working-class single mother, and her 9-year-old son George (Elliott Heffernan), who become separated during the chaos, the film blends overwhelming tension with moments of tenderness. McQueen’s multicultural depiction of 1940s London is rarely seen in cinema, offering a fresh narrative perspective.
Ronan and Heffernan give emotionally powerful performances, supported by a stellar cast including Kathy Burke, Harris Dickinson, and Stephen Graham, making Blitz a rich, Dickensian epic. The premiere highlighted the film’s significance as the festival’s Closing Night selection, released by Apple Original Films.
The closing night premiere was attended by Director Steve McQueen, actor Taura Stinson, and composer Nicholas Britell.
While introducing the film, director Steve McQueen paid homage to the festival and its home city. “I am so appreciative of this city,” he said. “New York has given me so much. I have a lot of family in New York, the first time I came here was in 1977, with the blackout, and Elvis dying. I remember it was a very hot summer. This city has given me so much in my life, and I say thank you to you New Yorkers, but also to the festival. Anyway, that’s what I want to say; thank you, to you.”
Following the screening, McQueen sat for a Q&A with NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim. “What was one of the proudest moments of my life on a film set, no ifs, no buts, no maybes, was, Saoirse sang, because usually, a film set is full of men […] but what happened on that set, was the dominant majority of the people were women, it was 450 women. Just, the atmosphere changed. It was beautiful, they saw themselves, and they saw Saoirse singing for them. And it was just so infectious, impactful.”
Blitz opens at Lincoln Center on November 1st. Get tickets and hear more about it here!
