essay

Dlstlluswned bureaucrat Theo (CLIVE OWEN) and the planet's last hope, pÿegnant Kee (CLARE-HOPE ASHITEY), m the thriller Chddren of Men

CHILDREN OF MEN Academy Award®-nominated fllmmaker

ALFONSO CUARON (Y tu mamd tambidn, Harly Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) creates a star-

thng vision set two decades into the near future--

and sends a wake-up call to the world of today

--with the mesmerizing thriller Children of Men.

Earth, 2027: Hope fbr the future has become a

dwindling resource. It has been nearly 19 years

since the last baby was born, and with each passing

year of inexplicable, global childlessness, mankind

edges closer to giving up all claims to a future.

While most people choose to embrace the inevitable

and descend into separatism, lawlessness and

nihlhsm, others fight on for a unified planet and the

rights of the dwindhng populations.

Great Britain is the one country that has

managed--through a policy of militaristic imperial-

ism--to survive the ever-increasing internal strife

and, in turn, is seeing a tremendous influx of illegal

refugees landing on its shores. But with a firm,

totahtarian hand, these "fugees" are herded into

detainment camps and deported.

For Theo (CLIVE OWEN), all of this matters httle, having allowed himself to settle into a state of

numbness. The former actwÿst turned bureaucrat

has steeled himself against his painful past and the

reality of a senseless future by simply ceasing to

care. His existence is enlivened only by visits to his

old friend Jasper (MICHAEL CAINE), who lives in the remote countryside miles from London. There,

-12-

they remember happier times as comrades-in-arms,

activists who once took up against the coming tide

but now find themselves checked out from a society

that no longer provides any answers

All of that abruptly changes when Theo finds

himself thrown m the back of a van and brought

before Julian (JULIANNE MOORE). Once his partner in both love and war, she is now the head of

a covert group fighting for the rights of the remain-

ing refugee population. Julian has surfaced long

enough to ask for a favor--for Theo to obtain tran-

sit papers for Kee (CLARE-HOPE ASHITEY), a

young woman within her organization who must be

seen safely out of the country.

Theo agrees--for Julian's sake, and for the

5,000 pounds he'll collect--and soon finds himself

accompanying Kee and a handful of Julian's com-

rades on a treacherous journey past several security

checkpoints to the coast There, members of the

near-mythic Human Project--some of the greatest

minds of the world working toward a new society--

are prepared to help them. But when Theo's group

is set upon by terrorists, it quickly becomes clear

that the streetwise Kee is more than just a

refugee.., she IS someone others are willing to die for.

She is, in fact, eight months

pregnant and now stands as the

miracle the whole planet has been

waiting and hoping for.

In their race to sanctuary from

both anarchists who will risk every-

thing for a cause and those who

would use her child for political gain,

Kee and Theo become the unlikely

champions of a future generation.

Universal Pictures presents a

unique and striking look at the world

of the near future--and one man's

fight to save it--in Children of Men,

which stars Academy Award®

nominees Clive Owen (Closer, Szn Czty) and Julianne

Moore (The Hours, Far From Heaven) and Oscar®

winner Michael Came (Batman Begins, The Ctder

House Rules), under the direction of visionary film-

maker and Academy Award® nominee Alfonso Cuar6n.

Cuar6n co-writes the screenplay along with TIMO-

THY J. SEXTON (Live From Baghdad, Boycott) and

DAVID ARATA (Spy Game, Dreadnaught) and MARK FERGUS (First Snow, Consequence) &

HAWK OSTBY (First Snow, Consequence)--which is

based on the book by global best-selling author RD.

JAMES. The film also stars CHIWETEL EJIOFOR

(Dirty Pretty Things, Inside Man) and CHARLIE HUNNAM (Nicholas Nickleby, Cold Mountain).

Producers MARC ABRAHAM (Spy Game), ERIC NEWMAN (Dawn of the Dead), HILARY SHOR (Eye

of the Beholder), TONY SMITH (Eye of the Beholder) and IAIN SMITH (Alexander) join the team, as well

as executive-producers THOMAS A. BLISS and

ARMYAN BERNSTE1N.

To bring the startling world of Chffdren of Men

to the screen, the filmmakers assembled a distin-

guished group of behind-the-scenes talent, including

director of photography EMMANUEL LUBEZKI

(The New World, Sleepy Hollow); production

Underground opposmon leader Juhan (JULIANNE MOORE) with her band of operattves

-13-

Rebel Jasper (MICHAEL CAINE) and Theo (CLIVE OWEN) dlscuss an zmpendmg attack

So it is no surprise that his

latest effort--the motion plc-

Ii! ture adaptation of esteemed

British mystery writer RD.

;'ÿ James' somewhat downbeat

novel The Children of Men--

also carries something of the

Mexican-born auteur: hope

The director admits,

"When I make a film, it is from

my standpoint--so the fact that

I am a hopeful person 'taints'

this film. Humanity has an

amazing talent for destruction.

But also, we can show solidarity

designers JIM CLAY (Match Point, Love Actually)

and GEOFFREY KIRKLAND (Mississippi

Burning, Angela 's Ashes); editors ALEX

RODR[GUEZ (Y tu mamd tambidn, The Listening) and Cuar6n; and costume designer JANY TEMIME

(Harry Potter and the Przsoner of Azkaban, Harly

Potter and the Goblet of Fire). Noted Brxtxsh com-

poser JOHN TAVENER provides original music,

including "Fragments of a Prayer."

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

For filmmaker Alfonso Cuar6n, it seems that no

story is beyond his cinematic telling: a bating social

commentary, a noirish crime drama, a beloved

children's classic, a modernist retelling of Dickens,

an insightful road comedy, a blockbuster magical

tale. All of his filmic efforts bear the unmistakable

imprint of a craftsman utilizing every tool within

the medium to realize the story on the screen. Each

of them, in some way, tells the world a little bit

about who "Alfonso Cuardn" is

and an ability to come through problems together. In

the end, Children of Men isn't so much about human-

ity being destructive--it's more about ideologies

coming between people's judgment and their actions

that is at work in this story."

Cuar6n's coming onboard the project was some-

what late an the game. The publication of James'

book first came to the attention of producer Hilary

Shot, who was taken with the stylistic departure for

the author (famed for her crime writing, the book is

decidedly science-fiction) and optloned the material

for the screen nine years ago, having just set up the

production company Hit and Run Productions.

"Propitiously," Shor says, "it was really the first

magical piece of material that I optioned. It's obvi-

ously been a long time coming, but it's been nine

marvelous years bringing this project to fruition."

Producer Marc Abraham of Strike Enter-

talnment was also a fan of the book--a colleague

had brought Abraham a copy and suggested that the

story might play well as a motion picture. Abraham

agreed and looked into adapting the book.

Informed that the rights had already been secured,

Abraham met with Shot and, realizing both shared

a passion to bring The Chffdren of Men to the - 14-

screen, they committed to working together on the

project. The project experienced waxing and wan-

ing periods of activity, but it finally started to gel

when Oscar®-nomlnated filmmaker Cuardn showed

interest In it. "Alfonso is a uniquely talented

director His passion is undeniable and his vision

inspiring. His involvement remvigorated all of us,"

supphes Abraham

Cuardn had been gxven an early draft of a screen-

play, but had barely turned past the first few pages.

Later, while on vacation--in a place perhaps the

antithesis of the inclement setting of The Children of

Men--his thoughts returned to the project. Cuardn

recalls, "I Initially didn't connect with the script, but

there was a premise there that haunted me for the

next couple of weeks. I remember being In Santa

Barbara on the beach and suddenly seeing the whole

film right there, in front of my eyes."

Never interested in the techno-fests that usually

fall under the header of either "science-fiction" or

"futurism," Alfonso was compelled to create a vision

wholly grounded in the promises and the problems

facing the citizens of today. He continues, "I found

this premise was an amazing opportunity to talk

about the present day, using the excuse that it's set in

the 'near future ' I didn't want to do

a film about the future--I wanted to

do a film about the present, and the

circumstances today that are crafting

our future." He quickly adds, "This

isn't science-fiction--it's a chase

movie, set in 2027."

Cuardn approached his writing

partner, Timothy J. Sexton, and

related the story of the film he had

envisioned on the beach. Together,

they intensified the novelist's view

of a bleak and dystopxc world of

the near future into one in which

people we are given a reason to

believe again...taklng James' concept of global

lnfertihty and streamlining the book into a

fllmable screenplay.

At the time, author James had cast her tale 30

years into the future, giving readers a more com-

fortable distance from which to view the alarming

vision of manldnd's possible end. The screenwnters

narrowed this window to 21 years, bringing the har-

rowing "what it'?." ever closer to the world of today.

Children of Men is recognizable from the signposts

of our current times, now nearly swallowed by a

near-future world slowly coming apart in 2027.

Having become involved with the project early

In 2001, Cuardn was also preoccupied with telling a

story of relevance to the newly arrived 21st century

For hun, many "futuristic" projects usually predict

a world led by some kind of dictatorship, but he

found a different kind of tyranny in the world he

and Sexton were envisioning: "Many of the sto-

ries of the future involve something like 'Big

Brother,' but I think that's a 20th-century view of

tyranny. The tyranny happening now is taking

new disguises--the tyranny of the 21st century is

called 'democracy.' I found that a very interesting

concept to look at in Children of Men."

Theo (CLIVE OWEN) and Juhan (JULIANNE MOORE) catch up on the past

-15-

Theo (CLIVE OWEN) 0 tes to avoMa bomb blast oll Fleet SOeet

In his and Sexton's informal research--questioning

a wide range of people on what they feel is shaping

our world--two elements were at the forefront of

many replies: one, the massive global migration of

the world's population and the flrestorm of political

positioning around the shifts (figures support that

the migrations of the last 10 years are the largest the

planet has ever seen), and two, the ripple effect from

and the backlash against the more than 300 years of

colonialism. These current circumstances--when

combined with such additional conditions as conti-

nental pandemics, rising international terrorism and

global changes in weather patterns--are indeed

flags that could signify a near future like the one

conjectured in Children of Men.

Certainly, to Cuardn and Sexton, their world of

tomorrow is rooted in the very real world of today.

So, they took their ideas and themes and created a

scenario timeline of the world events that had led up

to the beginning of their screenplay: London on

November 16, 2027. What results is a cautionary

story that takes place--both in a poetic and a literal

sense--"the day after tomorrow."

As to whether or not the vision of the future as

presented in Children of Men IS bleak or hopeful?

. Its writer-director sees the

film as a mirror that reflects

, the mindset of the viewers

taking in the story. He offers,

"When we were creating our

fictitious timellne leading up

to the film's beginmng, some

of the things we included in

our history actually started

happening--we'd turn on the

television and see images

that we had included m our

film, supposedly 21 years

down the line. But, I don't

want to give people any ideas

or easy answers to any questions...rather, I want

to raise some questions for people to think about.

So really, the movie is as hopeful about the future

as you are."

CASTING THE CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE

At the heart of Children of Men are the hot-

button Issues of immigration, environment and fer-

tility In the world of the film, each has adversely

affected the other, setting most men on a dark

march toward "the end." Once at the forefront of

hoped-for change, burned-out activist Theo has

resigned himself to fitting into a harsh society with

little foreseeable chance of survival. Hope is an

unaffordable luxury that merely brings heartache

But all that changes when Theo's former lover,

Julian, re-emerges with a request, which pulls Theo

out of his self-medicated haze and back into a life

of having to care about something.., and that some-

thing is the future of mankind.

Abraham says, "I have always loved the reluctant

antihero, they were the staple of the '70s films

that inspired me. The fact that a burnt-out Theo -16-

has to protect someone--who IS the first pregnant

woman on the planet in nearly 20 years--is a

clear, concise and obviously dramatic idea

Alfonso has added to this premise themes that are

relevant and current."

Cuardn refers to Theo as "someone who's fight-

lng to stay dead, a character who's given up on his

journey." But Instead of revealing all of who Theo

is up-front, the fllmmaker chooses to throw the

antihero into increasingly dire situations that erode

away his years of uncaring and reinvigorate the

activist fighting for a cause. Just as Kee is giving

birth to the next generation, the battle to protect her

is giving Theo a second chance--and helps him to

find his passion to care again.

British leading man Clive Owen, cast in the

role of Theo, was quickly drawn to the story, the

role and working with Cuardn. Owen states,

"Alfonso's work is visually stunning, and he's

one of the very few directors who is In absolutely

every wardrobe meeting, every makeup meeting

and every props meeting. When something is

produced and it's not quite right or in keeping

with his vision, it's gone Alfonso came to

London and we sat down and talked about the

film--and I just felt it was a

strong, bold and unusual take on

this slightly futuristic story. A lot

of people were misled Into think-

ing it was a sci-fi story, but then I

read the script and found out it

was a very different kind of ani-

mal. Alfonso had taken the origi-

nal premise of the book and led it

into very unusual areas."

It was apparent to Owen when

he first read the script that the

writer-director was trying to create

an unusual kind of hero: a flawed

human character who is dragged

into this extraordinary situation This became

apparent when confronted with one particular

sequence. Owen explains, "Alfonso is the only

director I know who would put their 'hero' in flip-

flops for a whole portion of the movie just to take

the attention away from the classic notion of hero-

ism. He wanted an ordinary guy in an extraordinary

situation, but to make you really believe it, he kept

pulling the rug from under Theo's feet."

Cuardn offers his take on Owen's character:

"Theo is a wounded soul--all of his cynicism is

nothing but a mask for something more genuine

that hides just beneath. At the start, he's a passive

character who is part of the problem And he acts

for a lot of the wrong reasons. But he becomes a

reluctant hero. He is re-awakened to posslblhty that

man has a newfound chance of survival"

Referring to Owen, producer Abraham says,

"When you shoot a movie for some 80-odd days In

the U.K in the winter--and every one of those days

you are at the center of the storm--that is a hell of

a challenge. We knew the shoot would be taxing,

but Clive was more than up to it. He is a naturally

gifted, totally committed and, thank God, he also

has a great sense of humor."

The most violent membet of the opposttton group, PaO tc (CHARLIE HUNNAM)

-17-

Juhan (JULIANNE MOORE) surveys her mtsslon

To play the part of committed activist Julian,

filmmakers cast versatile actor Juhanne Moore in

the part. Moore comments, "What was interesting

for me about Julian first and foremost was that she

was a woman who is the leader of this activist

group. It's rare, even in modern films, to see a

woman in charge of a radscal group."

Through the lens of Julian, the audience really

begins to see Theo--who he was and ultimately

how he can be. Unhke Theo, Julian has maintained

her dedication to a cause that brought them

together years ago, while Theo has given up and

faced the "Inevitable" end. In her role, Juhan is try-

mg to ensure equal rights for every immigrant in

Britain; such a contrary agenda renders the activist

group "terrorists" In the eyes of the government

and Juhan a wanted crnmnal.

Whatever the flashier aspects of her character,

Moore was attracted to the script primarily

because of Cuardn's attachment to the project. She

comments, "I think he's extraordinary. He has a

tremendous imagination and a keen sense of how

to tell a story visually. On this fihn, we some-

times worked with very little lighting, using a

lot of handheld or a steadlcam--almost like an

independent film. I think that

adds a sense of the visceral.

It's a somewhat dark story to

tell, but it is also illuminated,

m the end, with hope."

Whether or not Cuardn

agrees with Julian's particular

reasons for challenging the

country's stance on treatment

of refugees, he does address

her ideals in his umque way

when he says, "I've seen those

beautiful photographs of Earth

taken from outer space, and

you see clouds and you see

the shape of continents...but what you don't see

are the colors of each countries you see in maps.

These invisible lines are created by ideologies,

someUmes absurd ones--I have to ask what right

do we have to close the door on people that are in

need? These complex issues are being thought

about In America and Europe, and looked at very

differently--how are immigrants, refugees,

asylum seekers going to be treated? This is some-

thing happening now--the near future is now. I

think all of us working on the film thought that

you have to get the human experience to get to the

social and political--it's something that needs

compassion more than an ideology."

Prolific actor Michael Came assumes the role of

Jasper, Theo's oldest friend and confidante who stsll

maintains an activist's stance on many of the issues

now past Theo's caring. Jasper's a rebel against the

system--an aging hippie and political cartoonist

who now makes his living by selling homegrown

Cannabis sativa. While a secondary role, Jasper

was attractive to Caine, again, because of the man at

the helm of the film. He explains, "I wanted to meet

the man who named his film Y tu mamd tambidn,

which is a Mexican curse, nothing to do with your -18-

i

mother. Alfonso was wonderful, and I hadn't done a

role quite like Jasper. I work for fun and profit

now--I've got the profit part sorted out, and now

I'm working on the fun...and this is fun."

Cuardn explains, "I feel that Jasper, especially

as Michael plays him, is the moral center of the

film. His scenes have a warmth that is missing from

most of the other characters' lives. He hasn't given

up--he's struggling to keep that spark of life."

While it creates dynamic screen pairings to

place Owen opposite Moore or Came, most of the

lead actor's screen time is spent with a relative

newcomer: 19-year-old Londoner Clare-Hope

Ashitey, who won the role of Kee after a huge

search instigated by the film's casting agents.

In 2004, Ashitey landed her first major role as

a 14-year-old Tutsi refugee named Marie in

Shooting Dogs, but from the age of 12 attended the

Centre Stage School of Performing Arts in

Southgate, London. Her experiences during this

time saw her playing diverse and challenging roles

onstage m plays such as Simon Bent's Shelter.

Like the character of Theo, Kee isn't all she

appears to be at the beginning of the film. AshItey

comments, "When Kee starts coming out of herself,

it becomes clear that there are more

layers to her character than you

would have expected. When we first

see her, she's sullen and doesn't

give much away. As time goes on,

we see that she's mischievous and

quite needy, but is also rebellious

and has a little bit of an attitude--

not exactly the vision of a girl who

holds the hope of the future in her

hands, right? Along the way, a

father-daughter relationship grows

between Theo and Kee."

Despite not having a lengthy

film-acting r6sum6, Ashitey proved

a worthy on-screen partner to her more-seasoned

cast mates. She says, "It's amazing--I've met so

many people on this movie that are really wonderful

to work with and really great people. It was quite

daunting at times just being on set with so many

people who are great at what they do It has been

a challenge for me to get my tongue and head

around Kee's [African] accent, especially being

across from actors like Clive and Julianne and

Michael I can tell you it's been a steep learning

curve for me["

The producers of Children of Men confess to

throwing a very wide net to cast the character of

Luke, second-In-command to Julian and, after a

long search, "Chlwetel [Ejlofor] just rose to the

top--he's a great actor and his casting of Luke was

just a revelation," notes producer Eric Newman.

The director chimes in, "When Chiwetel and I

discussed the character of Luke, we hit on very

similar ideas, and he nailed it in his last speech--

it's about dignity. One of the first things to go

during human conflict is dignity--once that goes,

it's very hard to negotiate. And that's exactly what

he feels has happened to his group, which is what

fuels his actions"

Kee (CLARE-HOPE ASHITEY) wanly approaches her rescuers

- 19-

Second-m-command of the opposttton glottp, Luke (CH1WETEL EJIOFOR), and Theo (CLIVE OWEN) dtscuss the business at hand

the chance to have the oppor-

tunity to work with such a

team headed by the writer-

director. "I just think it's

smarter to work on the quality

projects, no matter the sÿze

of the role. I decided to

do Chtldren of Men, even

though it meant turning

down the lead in another

project, because I think

Alfonso is a genius and I

believed he was going to

make a film that we could all

Ejiofor himself adds, "I thought the cast that

was coming together was really extraordinary, and

as soon as I knew it was Alfonso's script, it was

another massive incentive. It wasn't hard for me to

agree to play the role. I've seen so many of

Alfonso's films and been so thoroughly Impressed

by his style and what he has created."

Charlie Hunnam plays Patric, another member

of Juhan's organization, who IS one of the most

temperamental and passionate characters in the

story--he embodies the anger of the country's last

generation now faced with a bleak future. Hunnam

comments, "Patric is a truly horrible bastard. He

has a good heart but a soldier's aggresmon, and I

think he's misunderstood. Instead of seeking help

and trying to look for some kind of positive outlet,

Patric just hurts people instead. It's an easy choice

to play a villain one-dimensionally, but it makes it

interesting and real if you're going to try and make

the audience feel sorry for you and understand

what your motivation is for being so horrible."

Hunnam inmally pursued a larger part in the

movie, but was considered too young. Cuardn,

impressed with the young British actor, ended up

offering him the part of Patric, and he jumped at

be very, very proud of. If you

look at some of his early work, he's just clearly a

master at what he does. You can learn so much

from working with someone like him."

"BRITAIN SOLDIERS ON": Filming Tomorrow in the

London of Today Cuardn was adamant that he wanted to shoot the

film in the U.K. Because of his work on Harry Potter

and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he had spent time in

England and had come away with high opinions of the

quality of the crews and filmmakers in the country.

From a producer's point of view, Abraham com-

ments, "From the beginning, we had promised RD.

James that the film would retain its U.K setting,

and in the end it seemed to make the most sense to

shoot it there."

Shooting and Cameras Cuardn made the conscious decision early on to

shoot as many long sequences as he could m

Chzldren of Men, removing some of the rhythmic,

artlficial cuts associated with current cinema and

allowing for a more realistic, cm6ma v6rlt6 style--

"to squeeze the frame to the last of its potential. - 20 -

to hold the frame until there's nothing else we can

tell in that frame and, all the time, following Theo's

perception," he offers.

To achieve this, he utilized wide lenses and a

roving "curious" camera in an attempt to elicit an

emotional response to the characters being por-

trayed in a certain space at just the right time. This

meant a higher level of choreography from cast and

crew to orchestrate these difficult, lengthy, near-

documentary takes. More rehearsal time was taken

during production to prepare for the more intricate

shots, m order to maximize time within the restric-

tions of location shooting. In the end, these longer

takes (Cuardn reasoned) would cut down on the

time spent in editing, with the seamless look he

wanted already begun by the cinematography. The

overall goal: Keep the audience in the film and

plugged into the drama of Theo's j ourney.

To achieve Cuardn's desired look, camera oper-

ator George Richmond shot for 16 weeks with a

handheld camera. The resulting shots are tactIlely

real, giving a feeling of being in the moment while

following Theo on his turbulent journey. Lubezki

offers, "The camera almost became another person

on set--a curious, inquisitive person

who follows our main character and,

at times, becomes very nervous and

edgy. This puts the audience in the

environment and gives them a sense

of 'real' time."

This is never more evident than

in one of the longest,, most action-

filled sequences toward the end of

the film, when "we follow charac-

ters through the streets in the midst

of battles into this apartment build-

ing, being shelled from the outside

by the army with freedom fighters

shooting back from Inside. And we

follow room to room, floor to floor,

in one single shot. I had this instinct to tell

everybody, 'Don't worry, we can always cut' But

everyone--the ADs, the stunt people, the visual

effects, the cast, the crew--took it as a crusade and

said, 'No way, we're not going to cut! We're going

to go all the way through!'" relates Cuardn.

The final sequence took four days of preparation

with no cameras rolling. On the fifth day, several

failed attempts occurred. Then, just before day's end,

the scene came together, per the director, "better

than I could have hoped, because there were little

accidents along the way that made :t more lively!"

Clare-Hope Ashitey recalls, "Alfonso tends to

build up his scenes in layers, and between each

shot and each take, he'll add comments, which

really help you to layer your performance. Soon,

he's created something so different from what you

started with."

The look and style of the film was another one

of the elements that attracted Caine to the project:

"So it's 2027, and these futuristic films tend to be

expensive-looking and slick, but ours :s dirty and

shadowy. They usually put dolly tracks down, but

our film was shot using handheld, so it looks

Nurse Mmam (PAM FERRIS), Theo (CLIVE OWEN) and Jasper (MICHAEL CAINE) plot thew nevt move

-21 -

Theo (CLIVE OWEN) cwsses the brtdge to vtstt an old frwnd m the mmtstTy

something like a newsreel. That was the final thing

that swayed me to do it. I actually thought, 'Aha,

here's a director who's actually thinking! '"

Some of the takes revolved in the long sequence

of shots could only work during certain times on

any gwen day. Producer Abraham says, "It's been

difficult shooting in the U.K. in the middle of win-

ter, because you have a limited amount of time

where there's enough light to expose the film."

Every detail of a shot was diligently prepared

prior to a take, which didn't leave much room for

mistakes. But, says Owen, "We had an amazing

camera operator who literally, from day one, put the

camera in incredible posÿtlons. He did extraordinary

things, and all by hand--it gives you a constant

feeling that you're present in the environment."

For some of the very challenging shots

desired--in particular, a 12-minute sequence of

dialogue and action filmed from within a car carry-

lng five passengers--the creative minds behind the

cameras were required to develop some made-to-

order technology. The result was an invention

affectionately referred to as "the contraption,"

which was a rig that allowed the camera to move

around the interior of the car without the passen-

gers getting in the way, with

the final, seemingly continu-

ous shot appearing as if there

are no internal cuts. While the

integral components of the

contraption had been previ-

ously utilized separately, they

had never all been assembled

for use simultaneously.

Frank Buono (from the

U.S.-based company Doggie

Cam) was one of the master-

minds--along with Cuardn

and Lubezki--behind the con-

traption. He explains, "The rig

allows for the camera to be put anywhere inside the

car and be able to look around 360° out of the win-

dow.., and never see any rigging or be bothered by

any obstructions It was built on a platform that was

especially made so that it can be driven forwards and

backwards by stunt drivers at the same level as a car.

The cameraman, director, focus puller and I filmed

the shot from an operations station built on top of

the rig. We looked a little hke the Beverly Hillbilhes

rolling down the street while we were shooting, but

the end product is an incredible piece of film work."

One of the five actors inside the car was

Chiwetel Ejaofor, who offers, "This one shot is cap-

tured with one continuous moment...which means

our movements and reactions have to be very fluid

in terms of what the camera is doing. Our seats are

on hinges, so that all the actors get out of the cam-

era's way as it moves around the inside of the car."

All who collaborated to create the contraption

hope they have come up with something that will

continue to be used in filming. Buono continues,

"Alfonso has been scratching his head trying to fig-

ure out a way to patent this idea, because he's wor-

ried everyone is going to catch on and start using it!

He's incredibly proud of it, as are we all. It kind of - 22 -

feels hke we have created a landmark shot on this

movie, really, thÿs roller coaster inside a car."

Location

One of the biggest advantages of filming in the

U.K was the omnipresent and Infamous English

weather. Usually, such an onslaught of gales,

storms and biting winds--and the resulting

puddles, mud and overcast skies--proves to be a

challenge for falmmakers to overcome. But for a

story set in a primarily gray vision of the near

future, it was heaven-sent.

But location filming is never without

challenges, and filming in and around some of

London's busiest landmarks proved to be quite a

task. With security levels higher than usual due to

the terrorist bombings In Central London on July 7,

2005, it seemed that the fllmmakers might have

been somewhat ambitious with their choices of

visually appealing locations However, months of

planning and determination paid off, with the pro-

duction managing to secure an Impressive hst of

actual (and imminently recognizable) locations in

the City of London and Westminster--including

Trafalgar Square and Queen Elizabeth II's front

garden, St. James's Park.

Locations department head

Michael Sharp explains the process

in the simplest of terms when he

says, "We started by breakang down

all the sequences that we needed to

get within our small window of time

and then worked our way though

each stage. Alfonso was determined

from day one to have Admiralty

Arch and the Household Cavalry

[hterally the Queen's horsemen] In

his movie, which meant a long

license process.., and lots of

veterinary tests to get through!"

Once the locations team studied the script and

discussed the general guidelines to the various

locales, Sharp and his department scouted for a

suitable location, taking into consideration all the

logistics presented within the day's shoot. Sharp

adds, "Once we settled on the range and the 'look'

of the film, we had to then try and piece all the loca-

tions together into a seamless world of 2027."

That world, as portrayed in Children of Men, is

essentially a world without hope for a majority of

England's inhabitants--there is a marked and

deep divide between the haves and the have-nots

For a majority of the film, moviegoers are taken

on Theo's journey through desolate and Impover-

ished communities, with only a few rare glimpses

of the wealth displayed on the "other side." That

near-circus-like glimpse is provided when Theo

visits his wealthy cousin to obtain Kee's transit

papers, and he is driven through the gated park of

the sequestered, privileged few--there, the rich

are showcased with a parade of domestic and

exotic animals, kept as child substitutes and

amusing divertissements.

But most of the film is spent in less Idyllic sur-

roundings. To find and film in those locations, cast

CLIVE OV/EN as the dtstlhtstoned bureauclat Theo stmts a take on set

- 23 -

v

(L to R) CLIVE OWEN as Theo, director of photogÿaphy EMMANUEL LUBEZKI and wl zter/du'ector ALFONSO CuARON

rescued from countries

collapsing into self-destruc-

tion-among the artwork is

Mmhelangelo's icomc statue of

David. The Tate Modern, cre-

ated m 2000, is housed in a for-

mer power plant and situated on

the South Bank of the Thames.

The late Jean Paul Getty's

estate m Sutton, near Guilford,

served as the crew base for a

week that involved filming

outdoor scenes, utilizing

paved roads, driveways and

wooded areas. Key to some of

and crew travelled throughout the capital city and

up and down the English countryside, braving the

elements of winter in some less-than-glamorous

locations, including a working farm in Hertford-

shire, a disused dockyard in Kent and an army

barracks m Hampshire.

To quickly estabhsh time and place, Chffdren of

Men opens with a shot of London's Fleet Street (the

traditional home of the British press, now more a

home to the law, with its courts and legal chambers)

with St. Paul's Cathedral visible m the background.

But the feeling of familiarity and safety is quickly

shattered when a bomb explodes m a coffee shop (a

re-dressed pub) seconds after Theo has exited

Viewers know that society is eroding.

Theo's subsequent kidnapping lands hÿm in front

of former love Juhan in an abandoned warehouse--in

actuahty, part of the Historic Dockyard in Chatham,

Kent, historically significant as a royal dockyard from

1613 to 1984; the yard survives as the most complete

example of its lrand from the age of sailing.

The Tate Modern, the national gallery of rater-

national modern art, doubles as the entrance to the

Ministry of Arts, owned by Theo's cousin, Nlgel. In

the film, Nigel houses a collection of masterpieces

these scenes is a pulse-pounding motorcycle chase,

and filming was halted early on two occasmns,

thanks to torrential rain and lcnee-high mud.

Filming locations of interest also included:

Bruneval Barracks at military base Aldershot

Garrison, which doubled as a refugee checkpoint;

Royal Air Force's Upper Heyford, a base used during

both World Wars and during the Cold War, trans-

formed into a portion of a refugee camp where Theo

frantically searches for Kee (one of Cuar6n's longest

filming takes); the Watercress Line, formerly part of

Britain's national rail network between the towns of

Alton and Alresford and now a preserved heritage

steam railway hne, which was used as Theo's

method of transport to meet Jasper; and Wimbledon

Dog Track in South London, which was utilized as a

regular haunt of Theo's and a designated rendezvous

point between Theo and Julian's emissaries.

In most cases, the production had to work its

way around location availability, specifically with

Trafalgar Square and Admiralty Arch (located

across the street from the Square and the entrance to

the Mall, the road through St. James's Park leading

to Buckingham Palace). Locations supervisor Sharp

says, "That location was particularly tricky to - 24 -

i'

secure and available for literally one day between

the start of preproductlon in 2005 and the second

week in February 2006. So we had to make it world

It's also a crazy time of the year, due to all the

events that take place for the Trafalgar and Second

World War celebrations."

Inherent in location filming is the mountainous

paperwork that needs to be executed to secure

shooting privileges--and it doesn't come any

tougher than attempting to maneuver through the

complex democratic system of interlocking permis-

sions with differing authorities to film in Admiralty

Arch and Trafalgar Square. Producer IaIn Smith

says, "When you see something on screen that

could take three seconds, It has, in fact, taken

several months of work to put together."

Compounding the already challenging system

IS the extra effort needed to obtain filming within

the "Red Zone" (the highly trafficked area in the

City of London between Whitehall and Bucking-

ham Palace), in light of the terrorist bombings of

2005. Productions must present a clear outline of

what is needed to take place in the limited window

provided, exact in Its details, but also allowing for

contingencies--and all of this with added consid-

erations for security.

Design Shooting the London of today provides a near

monolithic set of challenges to filmmakers...add to

that the fact that the setting of Children of Men is a

proposed London 21 years in the future, and it

becomes apparent that the production design and

cinematographic teams were faced with their own

sets of hurdles to overcome. The result IS a world of

inherent sadness that colors every frame of

Cuardn's film, from Emmanuel Lubezki's photogra-

phy to Geoffrey Klrkland and Jim Clay's design.

2027 Britain is a society breaking down, a

collision of new modern and traditional looks

stitched together by the trappings of a police state.

In some ways, it resembles a post-war landscape,

with a reversion to a tribal way of life where people

are merely trying to survive. Yet Cuardn is quick to

point out, "We don't have one iconic element in the

film that is not from the present."

To some, designing a film 500 years m the future

might be considered easier than one to two decades

ahead. To render such a world realistically, a thought-

ful blending of current and futuristic must be created,

planting viewers firmly in the "yet to be," but also

anchoring them with recognizable, everyday touch-

stones from the "now." For example, Cuardn and his

design team chose as one of the "hero" cars (or one

with leading camera time) a Fiat Multlpla because of

its quirlcy shape, now slightly tweaked by the art

department. The clothing designed by Jany Temime

also reflects a recognizable world of the near future,

yet one in disarray. It was reasoned that such common-

place objects as a car and clothes would not have

altered that drastically in 21 years. The result is a

world with subtle changes and few signposts--with a

lot of it looking very much the same.

The Job of production designers Klrldand and Clay

was to create and provide an expansive, reality-based

world full of texture, one with sufficient space to allow

for the action of the story Clay says, "It was very excit-

ing and very challenging for the whole crew, because

we were charged with knitting together a senes of shots

that should hopefully become seamless as one timeless

piece of action. Alfonso has a bnlhant eye for detail

and sometimes, when you're designing the bigger pic-

ture, you forget to put in those detailed elements. He's

constantly reminding us what makes it real."

Michael Caine observes, "The detail on the set

is down to Cuar6n. I was watching him one day and

he spent ten minutes placing postcards around the

back of us so they'd be seen in a shot. It didn't

mean anything to us, but it's important to him and

for the look of his film." - 25 -

Production designer Clay says, "We had to find

locations that served all the actions, which are always

very clearly in Alfonso's head from his writing of the

screenplay. One of my greatest challenges has been to

join all of the pieces together in a convincing way."

The dangers Chddren of Men proposes may not

be so very far down the road. Continents falling to

disease, incessant fights over immigration and the

natural weather balance tipping out of control are

not problems of the future. Indeed, some medical

evidence is pointing toward an increased rate of

lnfertihty among women, possibly due to poor diet,

substance abuse and pollution.

Such wake-up calls are not lost on the cast and

crew of Children of Men. As the youngest cast mem-

ber, Ashitey comments, "What is incredibly scary

about the world created in Children of Men is the

response and the reaction of the government to what

happens globally. Instead of pulling together and help-

ing each other, it goes completely the other way. It

really is a frightening prospect--that selfishness and

isolationism win out over charity and goodness."

That vision is the product of a filmmaker, who

wisely chose a style that does not comment on the

action, but merely observes it--and lets the viewer

come to self-realized conclusions. Producer Hilary

Shor points out that the "independent" style Cuardn

chose for Children of Men also gives the viewer a

little distance, in addition to the feeling of reality.

Shor says, "Watching Alfonso's process and the way

he worked with our cinematographer was insplnng,

because they would not take anything but the absolute

best from all of us--from the crew, from the

production and from the cast. He sees things that

nobody else involved with the film sees."

Producer Eric Newman says, "One of Alfonso's

many strengths is that he possesses the courage of his

convictions. He set out to make a very specific film

and never wavered."

Chve Owen adds, "I've done a number of

movies now and I have never been involved in a

film hke this. Alfonso is one of the few directors

who has the vision to take on a movie like this and

do a completely unique thing with it."

As far as what Cluldren of Men will mean to

moviegoers, producer Marc Abraham sums up his own

personal experience: "I think any great filmmaker, no

matter how long he's been doing it, maintains a sense

of wonder and accomphshment. Alfonso Cuar6n as no

exception. Franldy, you just hope that the audience is

swept up in his artistry and love of cinema."

Ultimately, Cuardn hopes for a jumping-off

point for discussion about the myriad of issues--

fully present in the current world's headlines--that

ultimately give rise to the vision of the near future

in Chtldren of Men. He closes, "I didn't want to

make a film that ends when the credits roll. Instead,

I wanted to make a film that, when the final credits

roll...that's really the beginning of the film."

Universal Pictures Presents A Strike Enter-

talnment Production, In Association with Hit And

Run Productions, of a Film by Alfonso Cuar6n:

Clive Owen, Jullanne Moore and Michael Came in

Chffdren of Men, starring Chlwetel Ejiofor, Charlie

Hunnam. Original music "Fragments of a Prayer"

by John Tavener. The costume designer is Jany

Temime. The editors are Alex Rodriguez and

Alfonso Cuar6n. The production designers are Jim

Clay and Geoffrey Klrkland; the director of photog-

raphy is Emmanuel Lubezkl, ASC. The executive

producers are Thomas A. Bliss and Armyan

Bernstein. Chzldren of Men is produced by Hllary

Shor, Marc Abraham, Tony Smith, Eric Newman

and Ialn Smith It is based on the book The Children

of Men by RD James, with a screenplay by Alfonso

Cuar6n & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and

Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby. It is directed by

Alfonso Cuardn. {32006 Universal Studios.

www.chlldrenofmen.net - 26 -