Daniel Day-Lewis has made his return to acting at the world premiere of Anemone at the New York Film Festival, eight years after stepping away from the industry. The film was directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, who co-wrote the screenplay with his father.
Speaking at Alice Tully Hall after the screening, Day-Lewis reflected on his approach to work. "I don't think that I've ever gone to work without feeling that I'm starting from scratch every time," he said, adding that careful preparation was essential to avoid the "huge distraction" of filmmaking paraphernalia.
Ronan Day-Lewis described the collaborative process, noting how "extremely detailed conversations" about each scene had taken place over years of writing together. He said this meant that by the time filming began, the pressure was reduced because the emotional trajectory of the characters was already well understood.
The film, set in Northern England, focuses on a middle-aged man (Sean Bean) who reconnects with his estranged hermit brother (Day-Lewis) in the woods. Their relationship, shaped by "shattering events decades earlier", is depicted as fraught yet occasionally tender. Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley also star, with Focus Features handling distribution.
