Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal star in 'FOE,' a story about the couple's relationship and humanity in uncertain times

Australian director Garth Davis enjoys adapting stories. In 2016, his directorial debut with "Lion" gained unprecedented international acclaim, earning numerous nominations in categories such as Best Picture, performances (Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman), and screenplay. Two years later, he released the biblical drama 'Mary Magdalene,' a story with a feminist perspective that does justice to Jesus' most faithful follower. This film is also remembered for reuniting Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix, who had previously met in 'Her' and became a couple. Now, five years later, he releases "FOE," an adaptation of the novel of the same title published in 2018 by Ian Reid. Davis co-wrote the screenplay with the author himself.

Starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal, the production describes "FOE" as a haunting exploration of marriage and identity set in an uncertain world.

The story of "FOE" follows the young couple, Hen and Junior, who have been farming on remote land belonging to Junior's family for generations. Their peaceful life is disrupted by a stranger who appears at their door with a surprising proposal: the husband will be sent to a large space station, and his wife will be left in the company of a robot. This family's bright life now confronts mundane and philosophical questions about the nature of humanity, including artificial humanity.

The author of the novel wanted to tell a story about a couple's relationship that was once vital and begins to deteriorate over time, set in a vast and isolated space where nothing external could affect them. "Space is, for me, literally infinite. Thinking about incorporating that element into the story led me to envision possibilities that are not far off in terms of our relationship with things like space or artificial intelligence, which suddenly are in the news every day. At the same time, what I wanted to write about was domestic relationships and how we understand each other as individuals. I wanted to write about what it means to be a person, even as we advance in time and technology." Ian Reid is the writer of another novel adapted to film by Charlie Kaufman ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), "Thinking of Ending Things."

Garth Davis, on the other hand, talks about the things that attracted him to this novel. "Junior and Hen live in a disconcerting isolation until a stranger arrives in the night with the strange news that he has been randomly selected for a resettlement program in space. That fascinated me, but what really hooked me was Hen. She is the great mystery of the story. Why does she behave that way? What happens in this relationship? What drives her emotional unrest? This story, which seems to be about a troubled marriage, becomes a profound portrait of humanity, our interconnectedness with nature, and how precious and fragile both are."

Reid received many offers to adapt this story for the big screen but mentions that he chose Davis and the producers because they wanted to focus precisely on Henrietta (Hen's) role, rather than on mystery and suspense like the other proposals he heard. "The producers talked about Henrietta's story from the beginning, and Hen was actually the character I thought about the most when I was writing the novel. I come from a rural area in Canada where it is still common for relationships to maintain some gender dynamics that seem outdated, so I have met people like her."

Knowing that Saoirse Ronan is part of this film is another reason to keep an eye on it, as she is known for being a selective actress. "The heart of this film is a young couple discovering many things about themselves and what they want. I had the opportunity to be part of creating an honest representation of a real relationship between two young people, something I simply don't see very often. For me, the care needed in their relationship is exactly the care needed for our planet."

Finally, Paul Mescal, whose international career skyrocketed after his brilliant performance in the moving 'Aftersun,' for which he was nominated for an Oscar, highlights that the film "ultimately is about a marriage and a couple trying to rediscover themselves." The director has not hesitated to heap praise on this new performance by the Irish actor. "This film really pushed him, and honestly, we witnessed a truly historic performance from him."

"FOE" is set to premiere on October 6 in the United States and on November 2 in Australia, following its premiere at the New York Film Festival.

Images courtesy of Transmission Films.

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