Truth vs. Facts: Adapting True Stories with LAST BREATH’s Alex Parkinson

Date: Sunday, 27 April
Time: 11:20
Room: Herringham Hall
Filmed: YES

When Alex Parkinson co-directed the documentary “Last Breath” in 2019, capturing the incredible survival story of diver Chris Lemons stranded 300 feet underwater in the North Sea, he couldn’t have anticipated he’d be adapting that same story into a major feature film starring Woody Harrelson and Simu Liu just a few years later.

In this revealing session, Parkinson shares his unique perspective from both sides of the adaptation process. Having made the rare transition from documentary filmmaker to narrative feature director on the same story, he offers invaluable insights into the challenges and creative opportunities of transforming real events into cinematic drama.

You’ll hear firsthand about the practical decisions that shape adaptation: How do you heighten tension while staying true to the facts? When should you compress timelines or composite characters? How do you write dialogue for real people? And perhaps most importantly, how do you handle the responsibility of telling someone else’s life story?

Drawing from his twenty-year filmmaking career and his particular experience with “Last Breath,” Parkinson will discuss the delicate balancing act between honoring reality and creating compelling drama. Whether working with his Emmy-nominated “Lucy, the Human Chimp” or the high-stakes underwater drama of “Last Breath,” his approach reveals how authentic human stories can resonate across different formats.

This session is essential for writers interested in adapting true stories, documentary filmmakers considering narrative projects, and anyone fascinated by the creative process of transforming reality into screenplay form.