Sundance 2024: Makers of ‘The Outrun’ hope to encourage empathy for addiction

“It’s very rough. It’s cold, it’s windy, it’s harsh,” says Nora Fingscheid.

That’s Nora Fingscheid, director of The Outrun. She says she loves characters who struggle with their inner demons—stories where the animosity is more than an outward struggle.

“The brutality of nature combined with this very honest story of Amy’s life really moved me,” Fingscheid says.

The Outrun is based on Amy Liptrot’s memoir of the same name — her story of addiction recovery and recovery on the remote Orkney Islands in Scotland. Fans of the book will notice some differences in the film. Liptrot says the main character has a new name.

“She is no longer known as Amy. Her name is Rona. And this allowed me to re-approach the material and give some scope for the imaginative elements to create a new work of art,” says Liptrott.

Liptrot wants fans to know that it’s a new take on the same material.

“They will actually — visually — see Orkney and Papa Westray,” says Liptrot.

Fingsheidt says she hopes the film will help people develop empathy for those struggling with addiction.

“People are like, ‘Yeah, you get on with your life now,’ but it’s not that easy. If you’re in recovery, it’s a lifelong process. And it goes back and forth like a dance.”

The main character is portrayed by Saoirse Ronan.

“All of us have experienced addiction in some way. And I am no different. So the film has scenes that are incredibly disturbing for me to bring to life, and a deep understanding of what it’s like to be in the shoes of someone who goes through this every day.

Ronan says there are a lot of non-actors in the film. They are people in recovery telling their real stories.

“We included them and they just enriched the movie, and they informed my performance so much. I am very grateful to them,” says Ronan.

Full interview