Rock and roll, love and melancholy – everything we love most about American cinema. It is our great pleasure to announce that this year's American Film Festival program will feature Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, the latest work by one of the most talented American directors.
It tells the story of the ordinary yet unusual everyday life of Elvis' wife, based on the best-selling memoir by Priscilla Presley herself. The title character is portrayed by Cailee Spaeny, who received the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival. Priscilla's Polish distributor is Best Film.
Passes, as well as media and industry accreditations, for the 14th AFF (Wroclaw, November 7-12) are already available for purchase.
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No one captures the essence of loneliness in the big world as beautifully as Sofia Coppola. In Lost in Translation, it was the bustling Tokyo metropolis and two lost, lifelong castaways; in Marie Antoinette, it was the Queen of France, alone amid court appearances and conventions; in The Bling Ring, it was a group of kids desperately seeking attention in the heart of Hollywood. Priscilla seamlessly continues this trend, with Coppola now looking past the gates of Graceland and beyond: behind the scenes of the Presley family's private world, giving voice to Elvis' wife.
Priscilla offers an insightful portrait of life lived in the shadow of one of showbiz's brightest stars and under the constant jealousy of millions of ardent female fans. It's a story that explores the fine line between love and toxic addiction, devotion and possessiveness. Coppola conducts the narrative with elegance and a sense of unforced ease, allowing the everyday life to resound far away from the stage jupiters. The film takes us on a journey through the title character's school days, her (very early) engagement to Elvis, her move to Graceland, and the explosion of the star's popularity.
Despite the larger-than-life story, and living in the shadow of her spouse's fame, Coppola keeps the narrative focused on the heroine's perspective throughout. Priscilla slowly emancipates herself from the role of "the ornament" of the King of Rock and Roll, until she finally turns out to be a woman of flesh and blood. In almost every frame shines the fantastic Cailee Spaeny, for whom this role has become the key to the acting premier league. The screen Priscilla is partnered by the equally great Jacob Elordi (as Elvis) – star of the award-winning series Euphoria, who will also be seen at the 14th AFF in Sean Price Williams' The Sweet East.