Cast of Ron Howard’s ‘Eden’ Bonded During an Arduous Filming

 Director Ron Howard poses on the red carpet before screening of "Eden" as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns for its 49th edition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Director Ron Howard poses on the red carpet before screening of "Eden" as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns for its 49th edition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 7, 2024. (Reuters)
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Cast of Ron Howard’s ‘Eden’ Bonded During an Arduous Filming

 Director Ron Howard poses on the red carpet before screening of "Eden" as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns for its 49th edition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 7, 2024. (Reuters)
Director Ron Howard poses on the red carpet before screening of "Eden" as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns for its 49th edition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 7, 2024. (Reuters)

Ron Howard's "Eden" may be based on a true story, but its actors at the Toronto International Film Festival said on Saturday the Darwinian story of survival departed from the historical record in one significant way: the cast members got along famously.

"Eden" is a story of eight idealistic Germans who move to an uninhabited island in the Galapagos archipelago in late 1920s. Before departing, the settlers had little in common except the will to escape a mundane of life in Weimer-era Germany and build new lives in an unspoiled paradise.

Eventually, however, the forces of nature and unscrupulous newcomers begin to pit the islanders against one another, and many of them mysteriously disappear.

Although the movie is set in the Galapagos, the island chain made famous by Charles Darwin, the movie was shot in Queensland, Australia.

Vanessa Kirby, known for her roles in "The Crown" and "Napoleon", took the role of Dore Strauch, the love interest of German philosopher Friedrich Ritter, played by Jude Law.

Kirby told Reuters the filming of "Eden" felt a bit like working on the reality TV show "Survivor."

"It felt really intense, in the wilderness we were in the 100 degree heat in Australia in summer," Kirby told Reuters on the red carpet. "We were sweaty we were bitten by everything, so it was real."

Even so, everybody bonded on the set. "We got along really well," she said. "Everyone in German accent: can you imagine that? It was really nice," she said.

Daniel Bruhl, who plays the idealistic Heinz Wittmer, told Reuters that the moment the cast came together they were committed to the story.

"We knew that we were doing this for Ron. This was his passion project for years," Bruhl said of the Oscar-winning director. "He has a contagious and good energy, and he did the job of casting people from different places. It is a very eclectic mix."

Unlike the characters they portrayed in the film, he said, the cast enjoyed the project and are still in touch with one another.



Slovakia Festival Hosting Kanye West Cancelled after 'Heil Hitler' Furore

Kanye West's song 'Heil Hitler' ends with a speech by the Nazi leader. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Kanye West's song 'Heil Hitler' ends with a speech by the Nazi leader. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Slovakia Festival Hosting Kanye West Cancelled after 'Heil Hitler' Furore

Kanye West's song 'Heil Hitler' ends with a speech by the Nazi leader. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Kanye West's song 'Heil Hitler' ends with a speech by the Nazi leader. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

The Slovakia festival due to welcome Kanye West next week has called off the event following the uproar over the US rapper's May release of a song glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Before the July 20 gig was cancelled, Bratislava's Rubicon hip hop festival was set to be West's only confirmed live performance in Europe this year.

Though he has won 24 Grammy Awards over the course of his career, the erratic rapper has become notorious in recent years for his increasingly antisemitic and hate-filled rants.

West, who has legally changed his name to the shorthand "Ye", released the song "Heil Hitler" on May 8, the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

In the wake of the announcement of West's appearance at Rubicon, thousands of people signed a petition against the gig.

The rapper -- a vocal supporter of US President Donald Trump -- is "repeatedly and openly adhering to symbols and ideology connected with the darkest period of modern global history", two groups behind the petition said.

In a statement on Instagram late on Wednesday, the festival's organizers said the decision to cancel the event was "due to media pressure and the withdrawal of several artists and partners".

"This was not an easy decision," the organizers said, without drawing a direct line between the rapper's planned appearance and the cancellations.

Contacted on Thursday by AFP, the Rubicon festival did not offer further explanations.

Styling itself as the central European country's premier hip hop hang-out, the Rubicon festival was set to run from July 18 to 20.

US rappers Offset and Sheck Wes were set to share top billing with West.

Australia cancelled West's visa on July 2 over "Heil Hitler", in which West raps about his custody battle with ex-wife Kim Kardashian before the song ends with an extract of a speech by the Nazi dictator.

West's wife, Bianca Censori, is Australian.