Oscar-winning director James Lucas has revealed that his new film 'Moss & Freud' shows a side of the supermodel that the public rarely sees. The semi-fictionalised account focuses on the period in 2002 when Moss sat for a portrait by the renowned artist Lucian Freud, played by Derek Jacobi. Ellie Bamber portrays Moss.
Moss, who has long adopted the mantra 'never complain, never explain' and rarely gives interviews, served as an executive producer on the film. Lucas said she approved his project after turning down other documentary and film overtures over the years. She also helped choose Bamber and spent time with the actor to ensure an accurate portrayal.
The film suggests that at the time of the sittings, Moss was suffering from burnout and re-evaluated her life. It includes scenes of her visiting an S&M club in Berlin, where she becomes distressed when touched on the dancefloor, linking to feelings of exploitation earlier in her career. The timeline also covers her 30th birthday party, inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Beautiful and Damned'.
Lucas told the BBC he approached Moss 'the old-fashioned way' with a letter, and that she responded quickly. He said the setting of 2000s London, with its creativity and hedonism, drew him to the story. The film acts as an intimate snapshot of almost a year in her life, focusing on the friendship that blossomed between Moss and Freud.
