"The Lost King" written by Gregory Mann

(The Lost King • 2022 ‧ Drama/Comedy ‧ 1h 48m • Showtimes London • Fri 7 Oct • Sat 8 Oct • Sun 9 Oct • Mon 10 Oct • Tue 11 Oct • Wed 12 Oct • Thu 13 Oct Cine Lumiere, 3,8 km·17 Queensberry Place, LONDON SW7 2DT, United Kingdom, 18:15 • 20:30

Olympic Studios, 8,6 km·Barnes, 117-123 Church Road, LONDON SW1 3 9HL, United Kingdom, 14:30 • 17:20 • 20:20)

/10/11/22/ London (BFI Film Festival)

"The Lost King"

In the archaeological find of a century, the remains of King Richard III, presumed scattered over 500 years ago, were discovered under a parking lot in Leicester in 2012. The search was spearheaded by amateur historian Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins), whose passion and unrelenting research were met with skepticism by the academic establishment. "The Lost King" is the story of Philippa Langley who refused to be ignored and took on Britain’s most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history. A tale of discovery, obsession, and stolen glory, "The Lost King" is a magical adventure illuminated by one woman’s awakened sense of purpose.

Philippa is a complex character, who tries the patience of the people in her life early in the film. She's very radiant. Philippa is like water. She always finds another way around, never really accepted ‘no’, and kept going gently, quietly over the years. You underestimate her at your peril. She has tenacity and wouldn’t be marginalized. Although Langley rigorously investigated Richard’s life and death, part of the reason she suggested digging where she did was a feeling about the location. Philippa isn't placed front and center in the aftermath of the discovery of Richard’s remains. The image of a king who was maligned and history tells us had a physical deformity fused in our heads with Philippa, who was struggling at work because of this condition that robbed her of energy, and was being unfairly judged as a result. When we look at some of our most amazing scientific discoveries, they've begun with an intuition. It’s the capacity to blend into a crowd, and then to shine out of that crowd with tremendous potency and light.

Richard III (Harry Loyd) is an extension of her subconscious, when she’s talking to him, she’s talking to herself. The long dead monarch is reflecting and giving her some quiet confidence, reminding her that she herself is brilliant. Often his job is not about helping Philippa find him, he’s helping her find herself. Other characters depicted in the film based on real people include renowned archeologist Richard Buckley (Mark Addy) who oversaw the dig for Richard’s remains. Buckley is very clear that none of it would ever have happened without Philippa, and yet there are moments when she's being marginalized. "The Lost King" features iconic locations including the medieval old town, Edinburgh Castle, St Mary’s Cathedral and the Forth Bridge, which serves as a brief backdrop to the Albert Pub, where the Ricardians hold their meetings in the film. One of the more elaborate scenes was the recreation of Richard’s reburial, and his tomb in Leicester Cathedral and then transported to St Mary’s.

'Richard III' is part of a group of Shakespeare plays known as the 'histories', which deal with events in England that took place after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The play has been the best-known depiction of Richard over the past four centuries. "The Lost King" depicts Richard in a far more flattering light than Shakespeare did. He brought stability to England; established the principle that you’re innocent until proven guilty. It’s a counterpoint to Shakespeare. So many people think everything he wrote is true. But it’s important to remember that Shakespeare’s play was written over 100 years after Richard’s death. And it was based on a narrative from Thomas More, who was five years old when Richard was king. Highlighting the power of mythology and how misinformation can endure over centuries, that archeologists still doubted hypothesis about Richard’s remains right up until they were found.

The film is inspired by the headline: ‘Mother of Two From Edinburgh Finds Lost King in Car Park'. It's the.story about the way women are overlooked and ignored. About the little person refusing to take no for an answer. And about not always accepting everything we’re told as gospel. People don’t like injustice. People do like David and Goliath stories, and this is a David and Goliath story of the amateur vs. the establishment. While "The Lost King" chronicles Langley’s startling discovery and the new light it shed on the history of the British monarchy, it’s also a conversation about sexual politics. It’s about a woman in a strongly patriarchal society who asserts herself and takes control of her life. What's as relevant now as it's back then are the story’s themes of tolerance and justice and the idea that life is almost never black and white. "The Lost King" touches on themes of power, glory and history, and who gets to control them.

Written by Gregory Mann