The Girl with All the Gifts
Special Screening - Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2016
Colm McCarthy / Feature Narrative / United Kingdom / 2016 / 111 min / Colour / DCP2K / In English / Arabic subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Mature subject matter. Not suitable for minors. Individuals under the age of 18 are not admitted into cinemas.
Synopsis
In the not-too-distant future, humanity has been all but destroyed by a mutated fungal disease that eradicates free will and turns its victims into flesh-eating beings known as “hungries”. Only a small group of children seem to be immune to its effects.
At an army base in rural England, these unique children are being studied, subjected to cruel experiments by biologist Dr. Caldwell. Despite having been infected with the zombie pathogen that has decimated the world, these children retain normal thoughts and emotions. And while they are still subject to the craving for human flesh that is a hallmark of the disease, these second-generation hungries are able to think and feel, making them a vital resource in the search for a cure.
The children attend school lessons daily, guarded by the ever-watchful Sergeant Parks. But one little girl stands out from the rest. Melanie (gifted newcomer Sennia Nanua) is special. She excels in the classroom, is inquisitive and imaginative – and adores Miss Justineau, her favourite teacher.
Against the backdrop of a blighted Britain, Melanie must discover what she is and ultimately decide both her own future and that of the human race. This injection of fresh blood into the zombie apocalypse genre had its world premiere at the Festival del Film Locarno this year.
About the Director
Colm McCarthy has worked on many major television series, including ‘Sherlock’, ‘Dr Who’ and ‘The Tudors’. Most recently, he directed the complete second series of ‘Peaky Blinders’, starring Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill and Helen McCrory. The series went on to garner a BAFTA nomination. McCarthy also recently directed the wedding episode, of ‘Sherlock’, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, which has already been viewed by a worldwide audience of more than 60 million. His filmography includes ‘The Girl with All the Gifts’ and ‘Outcast’ (2010).
Credits
- Director
- Colm McCarthy
- Screenwriter
- Mike Carey
- Producer
- Camille Gatin, Angus Lamont
- Editor
- Matthew Cannings
- Music
- Cristobal Tapia de Veer
- Cinematographer
- Simon Dennis
- Sales Company
- Altitude Film Entertainment
- Production Company
- Poison Chef, BFI Film Fund, Altitude Film Sales
- Distributor
- Gulf Film
- Cast
- Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close, Sennia Nanua