WestEnd Films has announced the launch of international sales for The Last Day at the European Film Market in Berlin. This marks the feature directorial debut of acclaimed visual artist Rachel Rose, featuring performances by Alicia Vikander, Wagner Moura, and Victoria Pedretti. The film, currently in post-production, showcases a first-look image, igniting interest among potential buyers as sales activities commence.
Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s classic novel Mrs. Dalloway, The Last Day unfolds over a single summer day in New York City. The narrative closely follows a brief encounter between two mothers experiencing pivotal moments in their lives. Vikander stars as Julia, a writer struggling with creative paralysis and unresolved grief, while also facing the challenges of her daughter’s adolescence. An unexpected meeting with Taylor, portrayed by Pedretti, a labor and delivery nurse grappling with her own postpartum crisis, disrupts Julia’s carefully constructed life.
Moura, currently nominated for an Academy Award, plays Julia’s husband, who embodies a steady yet increasingly distant presence. His character’s own unresolved tensions highlight the fractures within their family dynamic.
Rachel Rose’s Artistic Vision
Rachel Rose, whose work has been displayed at prestigious institutions like LACMA, Tate Modern, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, makes her feature film debut with The Last Day. Rose has garnered recognition in the art world for her formally rigorous and conceptually layered projects. In a statement regarding the film, she discussed the existential themes of motherhood, stating, “Becoming a mother felt to me like a collision between a beginning and a threat, and I knew I needed to write from the existential tension of that contradiction.”
She further elaborated on her inspiration from Woolf, noting, “I was struck by how Virginia Woolf reveals Clarissa’s self-erasure not through overt drama, but through the texture of a single, ordinary day — errands, chance encounters — until something immense has shifted inside her. That structure became my guide.”
Behind the Scenes
The film is produced by Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler under their Killer Films banner, known for producing notable arthouse films including Past Lives, Materialists, and May December. Other producers include David Kaplan, Lucie Elwes, and Rose herself, with Maja Hoffmann and Lucas Hoffmann serving as executive producers.
Rose’s production team features cinematographer Eric Yue, editor Taylor Levy, costume designer April Napier, and Emmy-winning music supervisor Susan Jacobs. The film is being marketed under WestEnd Films’ WeLove label, which focuses on female-driven stories and champions female talent in the industry.
As the film moves through the post-production phase, anticipation builds for its eventual release, reflecting themes that resonate with contemporary audiences while showcasing a diverse and talented cast and crew.
