Cannes 2022: ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ by George MillerStarring Tilda Swinton and Idres Elba, a tale in the style of Arabian Nights or Aladdin where interracial love is finally allowed in the guise of mythology.
Life is a story we tell ourselves and Tilda Swinton, playing an uptight academic specializing in mythology lets her imagined self go as Edris Elba swoops her into a cosmic flux.
Going into this movie with a very critical eye, I wondered how George Miller, a white Australian male would view Tilda Swinton vis a vis her geni, Idris Elba. I wondered if there was a racial or racist slant and if so what would it be? I wondered if there would be an “Oriental”-ism in the depiction westerners of the 19th century used in painting the lushness of harems and cruelty of what was called “the Orient” under the rule of the Ottomon Empire. After all, Turkey is the place of mythology. But surprisingly, we see very little local color except then Alithea goes into the bazaar and buys the charming blown glass bottle which contains the geni, or “Djinn” in its native language.
Tilda Swinton plays Alithea, an uptight, charmingly eccentric scholar, on a trip to Istanbul who discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
Can Tilda Swinton hold her own opposite Idris Elba?
Can she really be a mythological figure visa vis another mythological being from another realm of reality. Is “realm” related to “reality”? Do we all live in realms of mythology in our lives as opposed to realms of realism?
Three thousand years of longing by whom? Ostensibly by the djinn and wished for by our protagonist as the geni tells her his story which excavates her (three centuries old?) layers of repression to reveal her own longing for sexual and loving fulfillment.
These were the questions I hoped this movie would answer as I let myself be drawn into its broad, brightly colored lines of development, visually well designed with a tune that suddenly seems to reflect a recurring theme of one’s own life: one’s own heartfelt wishes, long buried, revealing 3,000 years of longing. The music, composed by Junkie X, billed here as Tom Holkenborg is stunning. From the Song of Solomon (with a really unintendedly funny animated accompanist), to the theme song itself, the score complements the story without ever getting into its way.
The djinn’s story coincides with the fall of the Ottomon Empire where such stories (as I said) of Aladin or 1,001 Nights originated. If considered within the context of Western Civilization in which the Ottomon Empire was destroyed by the rise of Christianity, the story takes on a racial and racist slant. But we who are watching the movie do not have to deal with that. This is a tale told by a teller of tales.
And in the end, the Djinn (who is never given a proper name) cannot live in a white, christian, cleanly lit society. He must return to the darker realms where storytelling is an art, not a means of coping with life.
Tilda, the white savior of the geni, in her pure goodness, makes her third wish, one of seemingly self-sacrifice in the name of love; she wishes that he return to where he belongs and will thrive. He, in turn, rewards her with occasional returns so their love can continue but without interrupting her happy existence as an affluent, productive single white female.
Watch the trailer here.
I too could tell such a story, but in the realm of our “real” society, it is not so clean and clear but is strewn with rough, irreconcilable elements. This is clearly a love story between two opposites whose attraction/ separation has lasted three thousand years. It is a fairytale which fulfills a longing many of us have in our minds but which remains, as in this sweetly told movie, only a fairytale.
Don’t get me wrong. I loved the movie. I would put it into a category with Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack’s Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, in which a retired school teacher, yearning for some adventure, and some sex hires a young sex worker named Leo Grande. It is a true “date movie” which, I am happy to report filled the Odeon Theater in Berlin on the Saturday night I saw it.
It is a brave move to make such a film in today’s environment. I do not think any American white male or female director would dare to tackle such a subject. Directed by George Miller on what must be a huge budget judging by the credits after the film, it is also co-written by Miller who wrote to lyrics to a song according to the credits but whose words I do not recall, though the theme melody is hauntingly beautiful. It is cowritten by Augusta Gore whose single credit on IMDb is this movie. I wonder if she pitched it to Miller. It is based upon the short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A.S. Byatt.
Further kudos should go to the director of photography John Seale, known for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), The English Patient (1996) and Witness (1985); the production designer Roger Ford, known for Babe (1995), Rabbit-Proof Fence(2002) and The Dressmaker (2015); the art directors Sophie Nash, known for The Nightingale (2018) and The Light Between Oceans (2016) and Nicholas Dare(Hacksaw Ridge); and the film editor Margaret Sixel, known for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Happy Feet (2006) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998). She has also been married to George Miller since 1995. They have two children.
Other notable below-the-line crew members include set decorator Lisa Thompson, costume designer Kym Barrett, and an extensive expensive makeup department: Lara Jade Birch…crowd hair supervisor / crowd makeup supervisor Terri Farmer…key hair stylist / key makeup artist Brydie Stone…key prosthetics artist Lesley Vanderwalt…hair designer / makeup designer Sheldon Wade…prosthetic artist
International sales agent FilmNation coproduced with U.S. studio-North American distributor United Artists Releasing / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)and licensed rights to
Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2020) (Switzerland) (theatrical)BfParis (2022) (Argentina) (theatrical)Blue Lantern Entertainment International (2020) (Vietnam) (theatrical)Chantier (2020) (Turkey) (theatrical)Eagle Pictures (2020) (Italy) (theatrical)Golden Scene (2020) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)Hkc Entertainment (2022) (Pakistan) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Aruba) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Bolivia) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Brazil) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Colombia) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Costa Rica) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Dominican Republic) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Ecuador) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (El Salvador) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Guatemala) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Honduras) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Jamaica) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Mexico) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Nicaragua) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Panama) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Peru) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Suriname) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Trinidad & Tobago) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Uruguay) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Venezuela) (theatrical)Kino Films (2020) (Japan) (theatrical)Leonine (2020) (Germany and German speaking territories) (theatrical)Metropolitan Filmexport (2022) (France) (theatrical)Monolith Films (2020) (Poland) (theatrical)Monolith (2020) (Malta) (theatrical(Nk Contents (2022) (Korea) (theatrical)Nos Audiovisuais (2020) (Portugal) (theatrical)Nordisk Film (2020) (Denmark) (theatrical)Nordisk Film (2020) (Finland) (theatrical)Nordisk Film (2020) (Norway) (theatrical)Nordisk Film (2020) (Sweden) (theatrical)PVR Pictures (2020) (India) (theatrical)Roadshow (2020) (Australia/ N.Z.) (theatrical)Sam Film (2020) (Iceland) (theatrical)Shaw Organisation (2022) (Singapore) (theatrical)Tanweer Alliances (2022) (Greece) (theatrical)TriPictures (2020) (Spain) (theatrical)Vlg Filmai (2020) (Lithuania) (theatrical)Volga (2020) (Russia) (theatrical)DeAPlaneta (2020) (Spain) (all media)Leonine Distribution (2022) (Germany) (all media)Sunac (2022) (China) (all media)The Searchers (2022) (Benelux) (all media)Universal for rest of worldProduced by
Rachael Gill…associate producer Dean Hood…executive producer Craig McMahon…executive producer George Miller…producer (produced by) Doug Mitchell…producer (produced by) Kevin Sun…executive producer...
Life is a story we tell ourselves and Tilda Swinton, playing an uptight academic specializing in mythology lets her imagined self go as Edris Elba swoops her into a cosmic flux.
Going into this movie with a very critical eye, I wondered how George Miller, a white Australian male would view Tilda Swinton vis a vis her geni, Idris Elba. I wondered if there was a racial or racist slant and if so what would it be? I wondered if there would be an “Oriental”-ism in the depiction westerners of the 19th century used in painting the lushness of harems and cruelty of what was called “the Orient” under the rule of the Ottomon Empire. After all, Turkey is the place of mythology. But surprisingly, we see very little local color except then Alithea goes into the bazaar and buys the charming blown glass bottle which contains the geni, or “Djinn” in its native language.
Tilda Swinton plays Alithea, an uptight, charmingly eccentric scholar, on a trip to Istanbul who discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
Can Tilda Swinton hold her own opposite Idris Elba?
Can she really be a mythological figure visa vis another mythological being from another realm of reality. Is “realm” related to “reality”? Do we all live in realms of mythology in our lives as opposed to realms of realism?
Three thousand years of longing by whom? Ostensibly by the djinn and wished for by our protagonist as the geni tells her his story which excavates her (three centuries old?) layers of repression to reveal her own longing for sexual and loving fulfillment.
These were the questions I hoped this movie would answer as I let myself be drawn into its broad, brightly colored lines of development, visually well designed with a tune that suddenly seems to reflect a recurring theme of one’s own life: one’s own heartfelt wishes, long buried, revealing 3,000 years of longing. The music, composed by Junkie X, billed here as Tom Holkenborg is stunning. From the Song of Solomon (with a really unintendedly funny animated accompanist), to the theme song itself, the score complements the story without ever getting into its way.
The djinn’s story coincides with the fall of the Ottomon Empire where such stories (as I said) of Aladin or 1,001 Nights originated. If considered within the context of Western Civilization in which the Ottomon Empire was destroyed by the rise of Christianity, the story takes on a racial and racist slant. But we who are watching the movie do not have to deal with that. This is a tale told by a teller of tales.
And in the end, the Djinn (who is never given a proper name) cannot live in a white, christian, cleanly lit society. He must return to the darker realms where storytelling is an art, not a means of coping with life.
Tilda, the white savior of the geni, in her pure goodness, makes her third wish, one of seemingly self-sacrifice in the name of love; she wishes that he return to where he belongs and will thrive. He, in turn, rewards her with occasional returns so their love can continue but without interrupting her happy existence as an affluent, productive single white female.
Watch the trailer here.
I too could tell such a story, but in the realm of our “real” society, it is not so clean and clear but is strewn with rough, irreconcilable elements. This is clearly a love story between two opposites whose attraction/ separation has lasted three thousand years. It is a fairytale which fulfills a longing many of us have in our minds but which remains, as in this sweetly told movie, only a fairytale.
Don’t get me wrong. I loved the movie. I would put it into a category with Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack’s Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, in which a retired school teacher, yearning for some adventure, and some sex hires a young sex worker named Leo Grande. It is a true “date movie” which, I am happy to report filled the Odeon Theater in Berlin on the Saturday night I saw it.
It is a brave move to make such a film in today’s environment. I do not think any American white male or female director would dare to tackle such a subject. Directed by George Miller on what must be a huge budget judging by the credits after the film, it is also co-written by Miller who wrote to lyrics to a song according to the credits but whose words I do not recall, though the theme melody is hauntingly beautiful. It is cowritten by Augusta Gore whose single credit on IMDb is this movie. I wonder if she pitched it to Miller. It is based upon the short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A.S. Byatt.
Further kudos should go to the director of photography John Seale, known for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), The English Patient (1996) and Witness (1985); the production designer Roger Ford, known for Babe (1995), Rabbit-Proof Fence(2002) and The Dressmaker (2015); the art directors Sophie Nash, known for The Nightingale (2018) and The Light Between Oceans (2016) and Nicholas Dare(Hacksaw Ridge); and the film editor Margaret Sixel, known for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Happy Feet (2006) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998). She has also been married to George Miller since 1995. They have two children.
Other notable below-the-line crew members include set decorator Lisa Thompson, costume designer Kym Barrett, and an extensive expensive makeup department: Lara Jade Birch…crowd hair supervisor / crowd makeup supervisor Terri Farmer…key hair stylist / key makeup artist Brydie Stone…key prosthetics artist Lesley Vanderwalt…hair designer / makeup designer Sheldon Wade…prosthetic artist
International sales agent FilmNation coproduced with U.S. studio-North American distributor United Artists Releasing / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)and licensed rights to
Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2020) (Switzerland) (theatrical)BfParis (2022) (Argentina) (theatrical)Blue Lantern Entertainment International (2020) (Vietnam) (theatrical)Chantier (2020) (Turkey) (theatrical)Eagle Pictures (2020) (Italy) (theatrical)Golden Scene (2020) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)Hkc Entertainment (2022) (Pakistan) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Aruba) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Bolivia) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Brazil) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Colombia) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Costa Rica) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Dominican Republic) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Ecuador) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (El Salvador) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Guatemala) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Honduras) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Jamaica) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Mexico) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Nicaragua) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Panama) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Peru) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Suriname) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Trinidad & Tobago) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Uruguay) (theatrical)Idc (2020) (Venezuela) (theatrical)Kino Films (2020) (Japan) (theatrical)Leonine (2020) (Germany and German speaking territories) (theatrical)Metropolitan Filmexport (2022) (France) (theatrical)Monolith Films (2020) (Poland) (theatrical)Monolith (2020) (Malta) (theatrical(Nk Contents (2022) (Korea) (theatrical)Nos Audiovisuais (2020) (Portugal) (theatrical)Nordisk Film (2020) (Denmark) (theatrical)Nordisk Film (2020) (Finland) (theatrical)Nordisk Film (2020) (Norway) (theatrical)Nordisk Film (2020) (Sweden) (theatrical)PVR Pictures (2020) (India) (theatrical)Roadshow (2020) (Australia/ N.Z.) (theatrical)Sam Film (2020) (Iceland) (theatrical)Shaw Organisation (2022) (Singapore) (theatrical)Tanweer Alliances (2022) (Greece) (theatrical)TriPictures (2020) (Spain) (theatrical)Vlg Filmai (2020) (Lithuania) (theatrical)Volga (2020) (Russia) (theatrical)DeAPlaneta (2020) (Spain) (all media)Leonine Distribution (2022) (Germany) (all media)Sunac (2022) (China) (all media)The Searchers (2022) (Benelux) (all media)Universal for rest of worldProduced by
Rachael Gill…associate producer Dean Hood…executive producer Craig McMahon…executive producer George Miller…producer (produced by) Doug Mitchell…producer (produced by) Kevin Sun…executive producer...
- 12/18/2022
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
Stars: Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba, Ece Yüksel, Zerrin Tekindor, Erdil Yaşaroğlu | Written by George Miller, Augusta Gore | Directed by George Miller
Dr. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic — content with life and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems. First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
There is most certainly a magical quality to George Miller‘s first film since 2015’s Mad Max Fury Road – his genuinely ambitious and sprawling Three Thousand Years of Longing. It is without...
Dr. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic — content with life and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems. First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
There is most certainly a magical quality to George Miller‘s first film since 2015’s Mad Max Fury Road – his genuinely ambitious and sprawling Three Thousand Years of Longing. It is without...
- 9/22/2022
- by Caillou Pettis
- Nerdly
Dir: George Miller. Starring: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton, Alyla Browne, Aamito Lagum, Burcu Gölgedar, Matteo Bocelli, Kaan Guldur, Jack Braddy. 15, 108 minutes.
When Mad Max: Fury Road was released in 2015, it wasn’t merely a revelation – it was a revolution. In an era rife with mind-numbing franchise work, George Miller delivered a feature-length, dystopian car chase that slammed its foot on the pedal and never relented, all while unspooling a rich fable about women’s emancipation from under the boot of environmental collapse. The film found itself at the centre of many a fevered discussion about what cinema can look like at its most creatively liberated and immersive. Though Miller’s follow-up, Three Thousand Years of Longing, is an entirely different breed of film – a romantic fantasy about a djinn and the woman he’s magically bound to – its interest in the restorative power of storytelling follows in the same tradition.
When Mad Max: Fury Road was released in 2015, it wasn’t merely a revelation – it was a revolution. In an era rife with mind-numbing franchise work, George Miller delivered a feature-length, dystopian car chase that slammed its foot on the pedal and never relented, all while unspooling a rich fable about women’s emancipation from under the boot of environmental collapse. The film found itself at the centre of many a fevered discussion about what cinema can look like at its most creatively liberated and immersive. Though Miller’s follow-up, Three Thousand Years of Longing, is an entirely different breed of film – a romantic fantasy about a djinn and the woman he’s magically bound to – its interest in the restorative power of storytelling follows in the same tradition.
- 9/1/2022
- by Clarisse Loughrey
- The Independent - Film
Three Thousand Years of Longing Review — Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by George Miller, written by George Miller, Augusta Gore and A.S. Byatt and starring Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba, Pia Thunderbolt, Berk Ozturk, Anthony Moisset, Alyla Browne, Abel Bond, Peter Bertoni, Lianne Mackessy and Aamito Lagum. Idris Elba [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Three Thousand Years Of Longing (2022): George Miller’s Film Plays Like an Art House Movie with Grand Ambitions...
Continue reading: Film Review: Three Thousand Years Of Longing (2022): George Miller’s Film Plays Like an Art House Movie with Grand Ambitions...
- 8/31/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
Milan Records has released Three Thousand Years Of Longing (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) featuring music by multiplatinum-selling producer, composer, musician and educator Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie Xl. Available everywhere now, the album features score music written by Holkenborg for the fantasy film by Academy Award®-winning director George Miller.
It’s a gorgeous score and one to add to everyone’s library.
The project is the latest in an ongoing creative partnership between Holkenborg and Miller, with the duo working together on the 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road and the franchise’s highly-anticipated prequel Furiosa.
#Furiosa pic.twitter.com/YaYcBfnejP
— Tom Holkenborg (@Junkie_XL) June 6, 2022
Also included within the 9-track collection is “Cautionary Tale,” an original song performed by Matteo Bocelli. Written by Holkenborg in collaboration with George Miller and Augusta Gore, the emotionally resonant track features as the film’s end title theme. Originally making its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival,...
It’s a gorgeous score and one to add to everyone’s library.
The project is the latest in an ongoing creative partnership between Holkenborg and Miller, with the duo working together on the 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road and the franchise’s highly-anticipated prequel Furiosa.
#Furiosa pic.twitter.com/YaYcBfnejP
— Tom Holkenborg (@Junkie_XL) June 6, 2022
Also included within the 9-track collection is “Cautionary Tale,” an original song performed by Matteo Bocelli. Written by Holkenborg in collaboration with George Miller and Augusta Gore, the emotionally resonant track features as the film’s end title theme. Originally making its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival,...
- 8/28/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Cohen Media Group hopes a Spanish film can dent the tough market for foreign language fare, Bleecker Street is out with a hostage drama and A24 presents Owen Kline’s directorial debut about a teenage cartoonist as the arthouse market flexes more muscle than it has in weeks.
The dearth of new releases itself nudged some distributors to grab a window now before a more crowded fall, including Uar’s supersized specialty opening of the Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton-starring Three Thousand Years Of Longing on 2,436 screens, considerably wider than originally anticipated.
George Miller’s fantasy fairytale, written by Miller and Augusta Gore, is based on the 1994 A.S. Byatt short story ‘The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye’. Swinton is a complacent academic, Elba is the Djinn (a kind of spirit genie) she encounters at a conference in Istanbul in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival out-of-competition entry. Deadline review here.
The Good Boss...
The dearth of new releases itself nudged some distributors to grab a window now before a more crowded fall, including Uar’s supersized specialty opening of the Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton-starring Three Thousand Years Of Longing on 2,436 screens, considerably wider than originally anticipated.
George Miller’s fantasy fairytale, written by Miller and Augusta Gore, is based on the 1994 A.S. Byatt short story ‘The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye’. Swinton is a complacent academic, Elba is the Djinn (a kind of spirit genie) she encounters at a conference in Istanbul in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival out-of-competition entry. Deadline review here.
The Good Boss...
- 8/26/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on August 25th, reviewing “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” a magic lamp three wishes story for the ages. The film is in theaters beginning August 26th.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Tilda Swinton portrays Alithea Binnie, a narrative-ologist, meaning a scholar who analyzes what makes stories work. She lives by choice a solitary life, but it not unhappy. When she begins to have visions at a story conference in Istanbul, it culminates in the purchase of a ancient glass bottle. In her hotel room the bottle explodes, and out pops a Djinn (Idris Elba) … or male Genie … and he grants her the requisite three wishes. What happens next is what neither of them expected, as Ali-thea naturally wants to hear the Djinn’s story.
“Three Thousand Years of Longing” opens in theaters on August 26th. Featuringilda Swinton, Idris Elba,...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Tilda Swinton portrays Alithea Binnie, a narrative-ologist, meaning a scholar who analyzes what makes stories work. She lives by choice a solitary life, but it not unhappy. When she begins to have visions at a story conference in Istanbul, it culminates in the purchase of a ancient glass bottle. In her hotel room the bottle explodes, and out pops a Djinn (Idris Elba) … or male Genie … and he grants her the requisite three wishes. What happens next is what neither of them expected, as Ali-thea naturally wants to hear the Djinn’s story.
“Three Thousand Years of Longing” opens in theaters on August 26th. Featuringilda Swinton, Idris Elba,...
- 8/26/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Idris Elba wasn’t longing for any Dijinn prep work ahead of “Three Thousand Years of Longing.”
George Miller’s first film since 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” is based on the 1994 short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A.S. Byatt. Elba portrays a Dijinn who offers a scholar (Tilda Swinton) three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Their conversation, unfolding in a hotel room in Istanbul, leads to decades-spanning, globe-trotting consequences neither expected. The film premiered at Cannes and opens in theaters August 26.
Director Miller penned the script along with daughter Augusta Gore, and that proved to be enough source material for Elba without needing the full history of the tale.
“I actually didn’t read the novella — I didn’t want to be tainted or influenced by it,” Elba explained to Entertainment Weekly. “Any literature about djinn was off the table for me. I didn...
George Miller’s first film since 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” is based on the 1994 short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A.S. Byatt. Elba portrays a Dijinn who offers a scholar (Tilda Swinton) three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Their conversation, unfolding in a hotel room in Istanbul, leads to decades-spanning, globe-trotting consequences neither expected. The film premiered at Cannes and opens in theaters August 26.
Director Miller penned the script along with daughter Augusta Gore, and that proved to be enough source material for Elba without needing the full history of the tale.
“I actually didn’t read the novella — I didn’t want to be tainted or influenced by it,” Elba explained to Entertainment Weekly. “Any literature about djinn was off the table for me. I didn...
- 8/26/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Enter this contest to win two (2) tickets to a preview screening of Three Thousand Years of Longing on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 at 7:00pm at the Mjr Troy. As always, there is absolutely no purchase required to enter a CinemaNerdz contest!
While attending a conference in Istanbul, Dr. Alithea Binnie happens to encounter a djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems: first, she doubts that he’s real, and second, because she’s a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually, she’s beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
About The Film Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance Cast: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton, Aamito Lagum, Nicolas Mouawad, Ece Yüksel, Matteo Bocelli, Lachy Hulme, Megan Gale, Zerrin Tekindor, Ogulcan Arman Uslu,...
While attending a conference in Istanbul, Dr. Alithea Binnie happens to encounter a djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems: first, she doubts that he’s real, and second, because she’s a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually, she’s beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
About The Film Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance Cast: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton, Aamito Lagum, Nicolas Mouawad, Ece Yüksel, Matteo Bocelli, Lachy Hulme, Megan Gale, Zerrin Tekindor, Ogulcan Arman Uslu,...
- 8/16/2022
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
While George Miller is currently in the midst of production on the Mad Max prequel, we do have another film of his to look forward to before our return to the wastelands. MGM has released a new clip from Three Thousand Years of Longing, the upcoming fantasy film starring Idris Elba and Tilda Winston.
Based on the short story The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye by A.S. Byatt, Three Thousand Years of Longing stars Tilda Swinton as Dr. Alithea Binnie, an academic and creature of reason who is content with her life. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she encounters a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. The Three Thousand Years of Longing clip finds Dr. Binnie attempting to tell the Djinn that she has no desire for one wish, let alone three. When she abruptly wishes that they’d never met,...
Based on the short story The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye by A.S. Byatt, Three Thousand Years of Longing stars Tilda Swinton as Dr. Alithea Binnie, an academic and creature of reason who is content with her life. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she encounters a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. The Three Thousand Years of Longing clip finds Dr. Binnie attempting to tell the Djinn that she has no desire for one wish, let alone three. When she abruptly wishes that they’d never met,...
- 8/12/2022
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Cannes likes George Miller, and he likes Cannes. It’s where he debuted “Mad Max: Fury Road” in 2015, and made his third Competition jury appearance the following year, this time as its president. Now his latest film, “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” has an out-of-competition slot with an epic and gorgeously wrought fairy-tale romance between a Djinn eager for freedom (Idris Elba) and a successful but lonely academic who studies storytelling. He tells her a bang of a tale; she makes wishes. They negotiate the terms in an Istanbul hotel room. Is love a wish fulfilled?
For all its epic scope, it’s a smaller-scale drama dominated by dialogue and reviews are mixed. That’s unsurprising; this movie is like nothing you have seen, and critics don’t know what to make of it. Although crammed with ingenious magical creatures and VFX, it’s not an action movie. Its two 50-ish leads are romantic,...
For all its epic scope, it’s a smaller-scale drama dominated by dialogue and reviews are mixed. That’s unsurprising; this movie is like nothing you have seen, and critics don’t know what to make of it. Although crammed with ingenious magical creatures and VFX, it’s not an action movie. Its two 50-ish leads are romantic,...
- 5/23/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Here’s a look at the full trailer for Three Thousand Years Of Longing. From director George Miller, the movie screened at the 75th Cannes Film Festival out of competition and was met with a six minute standing ovation.
Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic – content with life and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
This presents two problems. First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
Written by George Miller and Augusta Gore, Three Thousand Years Of Longing is based...
Dr Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic – content with life and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
This presents two problems. First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
Written by George Miller and Augusta Gore, Three Thousand Years Of Longing is based...
- 5/23/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Director George Miller and Tilda Swinton in Cannes. The actress said: 'What I saw last night was overwhelming but he still managed to keep it small and real' Photo: Richard Mowe Back in Cannes five years after he roared up the Croisette with Mad Max: Fury Road Australian filmmaker George Miller has returned with a rather different proposition: a fairy tale fantasy Three Thousand Years Of Longing adapted from an As Byatt novella.
Miller and his stars Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba along with co-writer Augusta Gore and producer Doug Mitchell lined up to meet the press this morning following last night’s rapturous red carpet premiere. He received an unusually cordial welcome from the media too.
The filmmaker noted when he first read the short story it had stuck with him because “it probed lots of things and big issues, all encapsulated in one story. It stuck with me...
Miller and his stars Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba along with co-writer Augusta Gore and producer Doug Mitchell lined up to meet the press this morning following last night’s rapturous red carpet premiere. He received an unusually cordial welcome from the media too.
The filmmaker noted when he first read the short story it had stuck with him because “it probed lots of things and big issues, all encapsulated in one story. It stuck with me...
- 5/21/2022
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Swinton says Cannes cinema screen “is possibly the most beautiful one on the planet.”
Tilda Swinton and George Miller teased the prospect of working together again at the press conference for their Cannes 2022 out of competition title Three Thousand Years Of Longing.
“I realised very early on that I joined that great club of directors with whom Tilda has worked, some several times,” said Miller. “There’s a reason for that – how comprehensively you approach the films as an actor, artist and filmmaker.”
“I’ve had a first taste, I’m a nascent member of that club; and I hope...
Tilda Swinton and George Miller teased the prospect of working together again at the press conference for their Cannes 2022 out of competition title Three Thousand Years Of Longing.
“I realised very early on that I joined that great club of directors with whom Tilda has worked, some several times,” said Miller. “There’s a reason for that – how comprehensively you approach the films as an actor, artist and filmmaker.”
“I’ve had a first taste, I’m a nascent member of that club; and I hope...
- 5/21/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
George Miller has some thoughts about the future of superhero movies.
At a Saturday press conference in Cannes for his new film “3000 Years of Longing,” story archetypes throughout history were widely discussed — as his movie follows an academic who studies the narratives of humankind.
In one scene, set at a conference discussing storytelling, we glimpse a large image of the DC Comics heroes including Superman, Batman and The Flash. Variety asked Miller if he thought that contemporary superhero content would be shared throughout the ages to come.
“They endure and have endured anyway. The one thing you will be certain of is that they will change, they will morph into something else. Marvel and the DC Universe are basically the vestiges of the Greek and Norse and Roman mythologies. There’s a direct equivalence between each of those characters, ” Miller said. “We’re going through an era in which I...
At a Saturday press conference in Cannes for his new film “3000 Years of Longing,” story archetypes throughout history were widely discussed — as his movie follows an academic who studies the narratives of humankind.
In one scene, set at a conference discussing storytelling, we glimpse a large image of the DC Comics heroes including Superman, Batman and The Flash. Variety asked Miller if he thought that contemporary superhero content would be shared throughout the ages to come.
“They endure and have endured anyway. The one thing you will be certain of is that they will change, they will morph into something else. Marvel and the DC Universe are basically the vestiges of the Greek and Norse and Roman mythologies. There’s a direct equivalence between each of those characters, ” Miller said. “We’re going through an era in which I...
- 5/21/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
George Miller told press today in Cannes that his new film 3000 Years of Longing is a fantasy story that is “open to interpretation.”
Five years after Mad Max: Fury Road, Miller has brought a very different kind of film to Cannes, where he enjoyed a standing ovation following the screening last night on the Croisette.
Adapted from a 1994 As Byatt novella, Three Thousand Years of Longing stars Tilda Swinton as narratology professor Alithea who encounters a genie – the Djinn, played by a pointy-eared Idris Elba. The film flips between their conversation in the hotel room and the Djinn’s previous adventures, while he asks her to come up with wishes he can grant.
Miller told the packed press room: “Most stories we tell are allegorical. They’re open to interpretation, depending on who’s watching them. Fantasy stories lend themselves to dealing with much more complex things than, say, a documentary.
Five years after Mad Max: Fury Road, Miller has brought a very different kind of film to Cannes, where he enjoyed a standing ovation following the screening last night on the Croisette.
Adapted from a 1994 As Byatt novella, Three Thousand Years of Longing stars Tilda Swinton as narratology professor Alithea who encounters a genie – the Djinn, played by a pointy-eared Idris Elba. The film flips between their conversation in the hotel room and the Djinn’s previous adventures, while he asks her to come up with wishes he can grant.
Miller told the packed press room: “Most stories we tell are allegorical. They’re open to interpretation, depending on who’s watching them. Fantasy stories lend themselves to dealing with much more complex things than, say, a documentary.
- 5/21/2022
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Three Thousand Years of Longing Trailer — George Miller‘s Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) movie trailer has been released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The Three Thousand Years of Longing trailer stars Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba, Aamito Lagum, Burcu Gölgedar, Matteo Bocelli, Kaan Guldur, and Alyla Browne. Crew George Miller and Augusta Gore wrote the screenplay for Three [...]
Continue reading: Three Thousand Years Of Longing (2022) Movie Trailer: George Miller’s Djinn Film stars Tilda Swinton & Idris Elba...
Continue reading: Three Thousand Years Of Longing (2022) Movie Trailer: George Miller’s Djinn Film stars Tilda Swinton & Idris Elba...
- 5/20/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
When ranging out of Mad Max territory, George Miller’s films are highly diverse and unpredictable in nature, and never has this proved more the case than with his time-traveling, narratively far-ranging new drama, Three Thousand Years of Longing. In this Cannes Film Festival out-of-competition entry, the director delves back into old texts to examine the nature and power of legendary stories that have endured for centuries in a way that is both sharply creative and a bit off-putting; the film begins on quite a high, only to slowly deflate as it works its way toward its modern-day ending.
Based on a 1994 short story, “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye,” by A.S. Byatt and adapted by Miller and his daughter Augusta Gore, the film is bracing in its intelligence and thirst for inquiry, immoderately well made and carried to the highest levels of screen acting by two sensationally good actors,...
Based on a 1994 short story, “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye,” by A.S. Byatt and adapted by Miller and his daughter Augusta Gore, the film is bracing in its intelligence and thirst for inquiry, immoderately well made and carried to the highest levels of screen acting by two sensationally good actors,...
- 5/20/2022
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
George Miller electrified the Cannes Film Festival with “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” his first directorial effort since “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Miller’s latest, starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, earned a six-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at Cannes’ Palais theater.
A love letter to storytelling and its tropes and parables passed down through history, “Three Thousand Years” follows a solitary academic (Swinton) and a burdened genie (Elba) she finds in a bottle in the markets of Istanbul. His history unfolds in the stories of those who had found him before.
While his memories were relayed in dazzling ancient locations with heavy special effects, half of the film is spent in a hotel room. The Cannes crowd enjoyed Swinton and Elba hanging out in bathrobes, casually bickering over the ethics of wish making — until the movie eventually gives way to a bittersweet love story.
Elba and Swinton...
A love letter to storytelling and its tropes and parables passed down through history, “Three Thousand Years” follows a solitary academic (Swinton) and a burdened genie (Elba) she finds in a bottle in the markets of Istanbul. His history unfolds in the stories of those who had found him before.
While his memories were relayed in dazzling ancient locations with heavy special effects, half of the film is spent in a hotel room. The Cannes crowd enjoyed Swinton and Elba hanging out in bathrobes, casually bickering over the ethics of wish making — until the movie eventually gives way to a bittersweet love story.
Elba and Swinton...
- 5/20/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
The Cannes debut of “Three Thousand Years of Longing” was never going to be a dull affair.
George Miller’s long-gestating follow-up to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which also premiered out of competition at Cannes, is one of the festival’s most anticipated titles. The dialogue-driven fantasy marks a sharp divergence from the action-heavy “Fury Road,” and many cinephiles were eager to see the Australian director surprise audiences again. But few expected the shocking surprises to begin on the red carpet.
As the film’s stars, which include Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, arrived at the premiere, an incident occurred on the red carpet. An unidentified woman, who appeared to be wearing a shirt that said “Scum” on the back, burst onto the scene and began screaming at the top of her lungs. The activist appeared to be protesting sexual violence against and suppression of women, as Scum is a...
George Miller’s long-gestating follow-up to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which also premiered out of competition at Cannes, is one of the festival’s most anticipated titles. The dialogue-driven fantasy marks a sharp divergence from the action-heavy “Fury Road,” and many cinephiles were eager to see the Australian director surprise audiences again. But few expected the shocking surprises to begin on the red carpet.
As the film’s stars, which include Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, arrived at the premiere, an incident occurred on the red carpet. An unidentified woman, who appeared to be wearing a shirt that said “Scum” on the back, burst onto the scene and began screaming at the top of her lungs. The activist appeared to be protesting sexual violence against and suppression of women, as Scum is a...
- 5/20/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Dr. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is just trying to keep things in order.
Oscar-winner Swinton stars as Alithea, an academic content with leading a life of reason and logic. However, all of her beliefs are thrown into a tailspin after encountering a Djinn, played by Idris Elba, while attending a conference in Istanbul. Suddenly Alithea has the chance to make three wishes that will come true, in exchange for the Dijinn’s freedom.
The mystical plot of writer-director George Miller’s long-awaited “Three Thousand Years of Longing” is expertly matched with jaw-dropping special effects. The film debuts in theaters August 31 after premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival out of competition
Per an official synopsis, Alithea’s wishes present two problems: First, she doubts that the Dijinn is real and second, since she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The...
Oscar-winner Swinton stars as Alithea, an academic content with leading a life of reason and logic. However, all of her beliefs are thrown into a tailspin after encountering a Djinn, played by Idris Elba, while attending a conference in Istanbul. Suddenly Alithea has the chance to make three wishes that will come true, in exchange for the Dijinn’s freedom.
The mystical plot of writer-director George Miller’s long-awaited “Three Thousand Years of Longing” is expertly matched with jaw-dropping special effects. The film debuts in theaters August 31 after premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival out of competition
Per an official synopsis, Alithea’s wishes present two problems: First, she doubts that the Dijinn is real and second, since she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The...
- 5/20/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Ahead of its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival tonight, MGM has released the first trailer for George Miller’s next film after “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” and anyone who knows how crazed, colorful and generally bats— that movie was won’t be disappointed at the first look at his latest.
“Three Thousand Years of Longing” stars Tilda Swinton as an academic who while attending a conference in Istanbul encounters Idris Elba as a millennia old Djinn — or genie — who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Swinton’s character however doubts whether Elba’s Djinn is the real deal, and she also knows full well of the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. But The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past, eventually beguiling her to make a wish that surprises them both.
Also Read:
Charlize Theron...
“Three Thousand Years of Longing” stars Tilda Swinton as an academic who while attending a conference in Istanbul encounters Idris Elba as a millennia old Djinn — or genie — who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. Swinton’s character however doubts whether Elba’s Djinn is the real deal, and she also knows full well of the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. But The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past, eventually beguiling her to make a wish that surprises them both.
Also Read:
Charlize Theron...
- 5/20/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
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