Gold Coast Film Festival: Jane Larkin on the lived-in perspective of her elite sports drama The Edge
Before commencing her career as a filmmaker, Jane Larkin was an Australian representative sprinter, pushing her body to the limits on the track. In the moments of preparation, cooldowns, and every minute in between, Jane was building friendships, learning from fellow athletes, and seeing a world of sports that we rarely get to see in cinema.After shifting over to acting in 2018, Jane embraced roles in films like Ron Howard's Thirteen Lives and the Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe, before commencing on her biggest creative project yet: The Edge. Jane wears multiple hats on her feature film debut, embracing the role of director, writer, producer, and co-lead actor, as she plays the role of Annie Murphy.Like Jane, Annie is a sprinter, and it's her performance, alongside fellow athletes-turned-actors, Lily Riley a powerlifter who plays Sylvia, and paralympic swimmer Mei Ichinose who plays Yui, that gives The Edge a docu-drama feeling. This is ultimately a film about the world of sport, and to get that holistic perspective, Jane consciously brings us into the lives of Annie, Sylvia, and Yui, with each given their chance to explore their lived perspectives of women in the world of athletics.Jane's script comfortably gives space for each actor to explore the realities of sports: the visceral nature of vomiting during training, the prevalence of sexual abuse, the continued harassment and criticism which leads to complex relationships with body images. But, while these are heavy subjects to present on screen, Jane consciously gives them space to breath by imbuing each character with another aspect that is rarely seen on screen from a woman's perspective: friendship in competitive spaces.As Annie, Sylvia, and Yui don't directly compete with one another on a sports level, a lesser film might find space to have them compete with each other outside of the sporting arena. It's then comforting to see The Edge delve into supportive relationships, with each character given the other the space to be nurtured, heard, and guided through whatever challenges they're facing. The Edge's levity and warmth comes from these core relationships, allowing the film to resonate long after its finished.These aspects are also elevated by scenes that carry immense visual weight, whether it be a closing shot of the women on a beach, or the overwhelming in tone underwater shots of Yui. In the following interview, Jane refers to one of cinemas great sporting films - Chariots of Fire - as an inspiration for her creative work as a filmmaker, and it's in these moments of invigoration, captured brilliantly by cinematographer Ben Knibb, that The Edge makes its mark as an impressive entry in the Australian sports genre.This is an expansive interview which ranges from Jane discussing her decision to shift from athletics to acting, how she managed that docu-drama vibe, and finally, talking about the films upcoming world premiere at the Gold Coast Film Festival on Friday 2 May 2025. The Edge will also have an encore screening on Tuesday 6 May 2025. For all ticketing details, visit GCFF.com.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Netherlands