Noomi Rapace on New Project ‘Mother,’ Working with Arthouse Directors, ‘Constellation’ Cancellation — Sarajevo

Noomi Rapace recently shared insights about her forthcoming project, Mother, where she will portray the revered and intricate Catholic saint, Mother Teresa. The Swedish actress, currently a jury member at the Sarajevo Film Festival, has been diving deep into preparations for this indie film directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska, known for God Exists, Her Name is Petrunya.

“I’ve been reading her letters, listening to her, and doing research,” Rapace told Deadline. “There’s also a lot of negativity written about her, so I’m filling myself with everything I can, trying to find who she is for me. In conversations with Teona, we’re finding our Mother Teresa.”

Rapace emphasized that the film will not be a traditional biopic. Instead, it will focus on seven pivotal days in Mother Teresa’s life, particularly when she decided to leave the Loreto Entally convent in Calcutta to start her own Missionaries of Charity.

“She was waiting for permission from the Vatican to begin her mission,” Rapace explained. “And she wrote letters for seven years trying to convince the Vatican to believe in something unprecedented.”

Between her jury responsibilities in Sarajevo, Rapace has been actively collaborating with Strugar Mitevska, who recently visited the city for script sessions and makeup testing. Rapace shared that they’re finding common ground between her own experiences and those of Mother Teresa.

“I’m beginning to see how I can relate to her,” Rapace noted. “I left home at 15, moving into an unknown situation, and she left home at 17, moving to another country, learning a new language, and navigating a man’s world. These simple facts make me very curious.”

The star of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo highlighted that Mother Teresa was a “complex” individual who constantly questioned herself. “She lived through several wars, continued believing, and kept fighting for what she believed in. She often spoke about forgiveness, and I’m incorporating these elements into my portrayal.”

Mother will begin shooting next month in Belgium before production moves to the streets of Calcutta, where Mother Teresa walked.

Alongside Mother, Rapace has also lined up a psychological thriller, Reckoner, as her next project. This marks a significant shift for the actress, who previously appeared in Apple TV+’s sci-fi series Constellation. The series, which was canceled after one season, saw Rapace playing Jo, an astronaut on the International Space Station.

“I loved that character,” Rapace said. “It was a beautiful journey working with Peter Harness, who is a brilliant writer and has become a dear friend. I enjoyed working with Apple and the creative team. I was disappointed when it got canceled but,”

“It was a long journey. I prepped for three months and shot for eight months. Taking on something of that level is a big commitment. But I believe things happen for different reasons, and I wouldn’t be able to do the films I’m working on now had there been a second season.”

She concluded, “I’m very much in love with European arthouse directors at the moment. It feels refreshing and liberating to return to my roots – smaller, more rock and roll projects.”

Source: Deadline