By Jessica Herndon, Film Writer
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) --Kristen Stewart endures a fair share of abuse in her latest film.
In "Camp X-Ray," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, the actress stars as Amy Cole, a guard stationed at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. prison in Cuba detaining terrorist suspects.
In the film Stewart takes an elbow to the face, is spit on and is splattered with feces.
But she learns such treatment is nothing compared to the harsh reality of the detainees, namely innocent prisoner Ali Amir, played by Peyman Moaadi, who she befriends.
"Are we doing the female soldier movie of our generation?" posed Stewart in a recent phone interview. "It gets that idea across, but it doesn't feel pushy. It's mad topical."
In a Q&A following the film's debut, Lane Garrison, who also plays a soldier in the film, said working on the movie shifted his thinking of Gitmo.
"I had a belief that everyone down there was responsible for 911," said Garrison. "After doing this film I started asking questions about Guantanamo Bay and come to find out that there are still men down there that no country wants and I started thinking 'What if there is a guy down there that is innocent that's not a terrorist. Does he deserve that day in court. It changed me to start asking questions and not just go along with the flow."
First-time filmmaker Peter Sattler said he got the inspiration for "Camp X-Ray" after watching documentary footage of a guard and a detainee talking about books on a library cart. In his film, Stewart's Amy Cole and Moaadi's Ali similarly bond over the prison's book selection.
To prepare for the role of Ali, Moaadi says he "stayed in a prison cell for a couple of hours each day" while on location at an abandoned juvenile prison in Whittier, Calif. "I got let out for this," he joked.
Sattler originally intended Stewart's role for a male, but he shifted to a female lead because he felt it created more conflict between Amy and Ali. "And Muslims' extremist relationship toward women also complicated (the story)," he said. "So I clicked into that."
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More