Stars get a raptuous reception at Toronto premiere of the film that Lasse Hallstrom says is about “trying to believe in the impossible.”
The world premiere of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen went down a storm with a packed Princess of Wales audience on Saturday night. TIFF Co-Director Cameron Bailey introduced the film as “probably my favourite love story in the festival.”
Producer Paul Webster noted: “Nowhere can be better to introduce a film to the world than this city and this festival. You guys are the shit, the best audience in the world.”
Emily Blunt said she signed on to the film “because it was so unusual and the script was so perfect. It was so special of a project.”
Amr Waked drew applause from the audience when he said: “We need a good story about the Middle East that doesn’t have explosions.”
Webster noted that screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, who adapted Paul Torday’s book, was influenced by Ealing Comedies and Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero.
Blunt also noted she’s recently been fishing in Jackson Hole Wyoming and caught eight fish. McGregor also joked about the time she snagged his dog while practicing her fishing technique in the film (don’t worry the dog survived).
Hallstrom summed up the film’s theme: “It’s about faith and the importance of trying to believe in the impossible.”
UTA is selling domestic and Lionsgate is handling international sales (Lionsgate UK backed the project, as did BBC Films and the UK Film Council.)
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