Director Chloé Zhao: Hamnet, Telluride Triumph & Heartbreak
Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” Premieres at Telluride, Leaving Hearts Aching
TELLURIDE, Colo. – The Telluride Film Festival is known for its intimate premieres and insightful director Q&As. But on Friday night, Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of ”Nomadland,” offered something far more profound before unveiling her new film, “hamnet.”
Rather of the usual brief introduction, Zhao, 43, guided the packed Palm Theater in a meditative ritual, a practice she and her cast had embraced throughout the film’s production. She asked the audience to close their eyes, feel the weight of their bodies, and acknowledge the safety of the surrounding Rocky Mountains. Together,thay exhaled three long sighs,then tapped their chests,repeating,”This is my heart. This is my heart. This is my heart.”
By the film’s end, those hearts were undeniably moved. “Hamnet,” adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed 2020 novel, reimagines the life of William shakespeare through the lens of his marriage to Agnes, portrayed by Jessie buckley, and the devastating loss of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. Paul Mescal takes on the role of Shakespeare, not as the legendary bard, but as a husband and father grappling with profound grief.The film, both grounded and dreamlike, garnered a rapturous response, marking a high point in this year’s festival lineup.
Zhao’s journey to Telluride has been one of remarkable growth. Eight years ago, she arrived with “The Rider,” fresh from Cannes and relatively unknown. In 2020, she returned with “Nomadland,” wich, due to the pandemic, received a Telluride-sponsored drive-in screening at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl. The film went on to win Best Picture, and Zhao made Oscar history as onyl the second woman – and the first woman of color – to win the directing prize. Following that success, she tackled the massive Marvel undertaking, “Eternals,” which brought a mixed critical reception.
With “Hamnet,” Zhao returns to a more intimate scale, trading cosmic spectacle for the raw emotion of human drama.
On Sunday morning, still absorbing the powerful reaction to “Hamnet,” Zhao spoke softly about her reasons for adapting O’Farrell’s story, her approach to Shakespeare’s world, and the delicate art of transforming heartbreak into a cinematic experience. Her words, though quiet, resonated deeply, hinting