"Lee," Kate Winslet's latest film on World War II photojournalist Lee Miller, was a labor of love, a new report claimed.
After buying a dining table from Lee's husband, Roland Penrose's sister-in-law, Kate discovered Lee's story. She worked for eight years on the passion project, 10 Play reported.
Kate, a film producer, stated that "the process of getting [Lee] off the ground was the most phenomenal fight."
Antony Penrose's "The Lives of Lee Miller" and "Lee Miller: Photographs," guided Kate's research. Antony Penrose, Lee and Roland Miller's son, was her collaborator.
The film follows American-born combat journalist and photographer Lee, a Vogue cover girl and model. Lee convinces British Vogue editor Audrey Withers to publish her photos while stationed in Europe during World War II. She feels duped when only two of her photos are published by New Idea Magazine.
As a pioneer in a male-dominated industry, Lee became one of the most prolific war photographers. Her photos revolutionized the industry.
She is famous for finding one of Adolf Hitler's homes after the war. Her boots were still muddy from visiting Dachau, but she bravely stood beside a framed Hitler photo as she jumped into his bathtub.
Comedy actor Andy Samberg stars opposite Kate, ABC reported. He plays the dramatic role of Life magazine photographer David E. Scherman.
Marion Cotillard, Josh O'Connor, and Alexander Skarsgard reprise their roles as Roland, Antony, and French Vogue fashion editor Solande d'Ayen.
"What set [Lee] apart as a female photographer was that she wasn't photographing the soldiers and the gunfire and the bloodshed," Kate said, as per New Idea Magazine. "She was able to peek into the corners and see into the cracks and look at the women and the children and the voiceless victims who were left behind."
Lee was deeply affected by witnessing the concentration camp atrocities. During the battle, she was intoxicated, depressed, and PTSD, and she hardly discussed her work with her son Antony.
Kate studied photography to master Lee's Rolleiflex camera before the production.
"The viewfinder does not come up to the eye,” she explained. "It's a camera that sits somewhere between the heart and the stomach. And actually, you look down into the image.”
"She could look up and meet someone's gaze and really see into them and truly be in the situation with that person,” she added.
Kate said it was "such a privilege" to play Lee, who died at 70 in 1977.
"There are some characters you really want to get rid of, like, just get out of your system," she said. "But Lee ... there were so many things about her that I found extraordinarily inspirational. So there's a lot of her that has stayed in me and I feel very happy and proud about that."
