If you’ve seen Yellowjackets, you’re already well aware that Sophie Nélisse is a powerhouse performer. (One that deserved an Emmy nomination, in fact!) But if you’re looking for even more proof that she can command the screen and function as the beating heart of a hugely emotional film in a challenging role, then you’re going to want to see her latest feature film, Irena’s Vow.
The Louise Archambault-directed film is a screen adaptation of Dan Gordon’s stage play, which is based on the true story of a Polish woman who risked her life to save 12 Jewish workers during the Holocaust. Nélisse headlines the film as that hero, Irena Gut. When Irena is assigned to run the home of a Nazi commandant (Dougray Scott), she opts to use her new position as an opportunity to hide the Jewish refugees in a place the Nazis are least likely to look — right under their noses.
Just before Irena’s Vow had its world premiere screening at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Archambault, Nélisse, and Scott visited the Collider media studio at the Cinema Center at MARBL to discuss their experience making the movie. Archambault weighed in on the increased relevancy of the story, Nélisse touched on her natural ability to tap into and out of challenging scenes, Scott and Archambault sang Nélisse’s praises as the lead of the film, and loads more.
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