Filmmaker Francis Lee has been accused of fabricating a lesbian storyline in his next directorial Ammonite.
The film, a biographical drama about paleontologist Mary Anning, features Oscar winner Kate Winslet and actor Saoirse Ronan in the lead. The story follows the life of noted British palaeontologist Anning (Winslet) who begins a relationship with Frances Bell, her nursemaid (Ronan).
A report in The Telegraph, however, questioned the film’s storyline, with Anning’s real-life descendants claiming that her sexuality was never confirmed. “Do the film-makers have to resort to using unconfirmed aspects to somebody’s sexuality to make an already remarkable story sensational?” Barbara Anning said.
“Imagine the shame and embarrassment this woman would be feeling right now to actually have her private sex life discussed and played out on screen. This adds nothing to her story,” she added.
