2 minute read

Making of

he Power of the Dog is Palme D’Or winning director Jane Campion’s first feature film since 2009’s Bright Star.

Adapted by Campion from a novel by Thomas Savage, the psychodrama about two warring brothers in 1920s Montana stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst.

The film was shot on location on the remote South Island of New Zealand — its sparsely populated, grassy plains and rocky mountains standing in for Montana — as well as in studios in Auckland, New Zealand. Campion had initially thought she would make the film in Montana, but when she travelled to the region, it became apparent that the area was overbuilt for the era in which the film takes place. Campion was then encouraged to consider New Zealand, her home country. “Ultimately, shooting in New Zealand wasn’t a compromise, it was the best choice for us,” she says.

The outdoor ranch and barn sets were created by production designer Grant Major, who had worked with Campion on An Angel at My Table. An important reference for Campion and Major was the work of photojournalist Evelyn Cameron, who documented the American West at the time the film is set. They also referenced Time magazine archives, featuring photography of cowboys of the era, in addition to the Ken Burns documentary series The West.

Director of photography Ari Wegner spent roughly a year working with Campion, location scouting, storyboarding, and developing the visual style for the film.

Images: e Power of the Dog © Kirsty Griffin & Netflix.