Continuing his ongoing collaboration with the Royal Ballet & Opera, Sebastian Nevols photographed the key art and directed the trailer for Festen.
Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, librettist Lee Hall, and director Richard Jones adapted this world premiere opera from Thomas Vinterberg’s cult film, delving into themes of trauma and chaos.
At the heart of the story is a family gathering to celebrate the patriarch's 60th birthday, where painful truths emerge, and his children finally confront him. For the key art, I aimed to capture this pivotal moment of rejection, with the children turning their backs during a family photo – a quiet but powerful image of defiance.
