Neil BakerThe Almond and the Seahorse arrives in UK Cinemas on May 10.
Based on the play of the same name, the film, which was re-edited for UK audiences, showcases an incredible cast led by Rebel Wilson. The Almond and the Seahorse was co-written by playwright Kaite O’Reilly alongside Celyn Jones, who also served as first-time co-director with Tom Stern (cinematographer on Million Dollar Baby, American Sniper). Alongside Wilson, the film also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, award-winning Danish actress Trine Dyrholm, Celyn Jones, Meera Syal, Ruth Madeley and Alice Lowe.
Credit: Cat Morley
The Almond and the Seahorse are the nicknames given to the parts of our brains that lay down new memories and hold on to the old ones. After a TBI (a traumatic brain injury), these parts can change, become new pathways, creating a new you … but what gets forgotten and who gets left behind? Usually, the people who love us the most. The film explores the complex and very human relationships of two couples as they try to navigate a new life together or attempt to explore a life apart after TBI changes everything. It refreshingly focuses on the characters without brain damage who have to carry the heart damage.
Sarah (Rebel Wilson) is an archaeologist who loves her husband Joe (Celyn Jones), but after a TBI, their love is trapped in the past. Toni (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is an architect and loves her partner Gwen (Trine Dyrholm), but after a TBI, they have been imprisoned in a fifteen-year loop. Love is the only thing that keeps them all going, but something has changed, and they need more help. Both women are on a parallel course; both want a future, but neither knows if it is possible or what that may look like. As Dr Falmer (Meera Syal) puts it, “They’re the brains I can’t mend”.
Speaking about The Almond and the Seahorse, Rebel Wilson said, “I’m so proud of this great gem of a film that dives into the important subject of traumatic brain injury. It’s such a departure for me artistically after having done mainly commercial comedy films in America, it was a challenge to do something so very different, but I just adored working with Cel and Charlotte, Trine and Meera on this beautiful piece. I can’t wait for UK audiences to see it in May.”
Nicola Pearcey, CEO of Picnik Entertainment, adds, “It is an absolute honour to be releasing The Almond And The Seahorse. We’ve all seen Rebel in those much-loved blockbuster comedic roles, but this film demonstrates her dramatic ability on another level, and we cannot wait for our audiences to see her alongside the amazing talents of Charlotte Gainsbourg, Trine Dyrholm, Meera Syal and of course the brilliant writer and co-director and co-star Celyn Jones, in UK cinemas this May.”
Co-writer/director Celyn Jones said, “It’s wonderful and very apt that Picnik Entertainment are bringing the film to U.K. audiences. The performances from each of the leading ladies are astounding, a masterclass, and it was a pleasure to be in their orbit. It’s a universal story about love, survival and the powerful fragility of memory. We wanted to shine a bright light on a poignant subject that affects many people caught in the emotional debris of TBI, caught between caring for and being cared for in a world that can leave you behind. I hope our film helps to heal as much as it entertains, and don’t worry, it’s as funny as it is moving.”
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