Film trailer: 'The Lady' with Michelle Yeoh

The first trailer for
The Lady (
Dans la lumière), about Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient who spent 15 years under house arrest, was released August 23.

The 50-second teaser shows the lockdown of the activist's home and a dramatic appearance to address throngs of followers of her pro-democracy movement. She was already detained when she won the 1990 election with 59% of the votes.

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh ( Memoirs of a Geisha, Kung Fu Panda 2) portrays Suu Kyi and David Thewlis ( Harry Potter) plays her husband, Michael Aris. Directed by Luc Besson ( La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element), the film tells an inspiring story of their enduring love amidst political turmoil.

During production, Suu Kyi was released from house arrest and Yeoh was able to meet with her, but in June the actress was deported from Myanmar.

The poster for the film is by graphic artist Shepard Fairey, who created the famous "Hope" poster for US President Obama's campaign. His poster was commissioned based on the street artist's original image of Suu Kyi but the new version more closely resembles Michelle Yeoh.

The film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12. It is scheduled to be released in France on November 30 and in March in Germany, with other markets to be determined.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wm13WbpE7k

RC