PRODUCTION FEMME
Neo-noir thriller Femme follows two gay men as they wrestle with identity. We hear from DOP James Rhodes on how both storylines were visually established D espite its title, Femme is largely an exploration of masculinity. Adapted from their original short of the same name, writer-directors Sam H Freeman and Ng Choon Ping place two men at Femme ’s centre – Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), who’s a part- time drag queen, and Preston (George MacKay), who’s closeted. After Preston incites a homophobic attack, Jules finds an opportunity to exact revenge – and what could’ve been a predictable story becomes a compelling look at power and fragility. SEEING DOUBLE To differentiate between Jules and Preston’s distinct storylines, James Rhodes – Femme ’s BIFA-nominated DOP – created his very own ‘lens logic’. “I had a theory: let’s go anamorphic for Jules’ world and spherical for Preston’s world,” recounts Rhodes. “The aesthetic
WORLDS APART Rhodes (below) opted for two different lenses for each main character, as a way of highlighting their unique perspectives
© JAMES RHODES
WORDS Katie Kasperson
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