Is Stars at Noon Based on a True Story?

Claire Denis is the director of the romantic suspense film “Stars at Noon,” which tells the story of a love story that is put in jeopardy by foreboding events. Trish, a young journalist from the United States, is currently on duty in Nicaragua, but her colleagues have abandoned her there owing to the escalating political tension. During the course of her reporting on the events of the ongoing revolution, she comes into contact with Daniel, an English businessman who is also stranded in the foreign country. Soon after, they begin to develop romantic feelings for one another, and Trish begins to regard him as her only opportunity to from Nicaragua. However, they had no idea that the secrets that they are keeping from one another could end up being the downfall of their lives.

The film features Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn as the primary protagonists, and it is an engrossing story of love, trust, and the will to survive, which is brought to life by the outstanding performances of the actors. A realistic setting, such as Nicaragua at a time of political upheaval, raises the question of whether the events in the novel or its characters have any basis in real life or any relationship to real people. Is the book “Stars at Noon” a work of fiction or does it make reference to actual events? Let’s find out together what the answer is!

Is Stars at Noon a True Story?

No, the plot of “Stars at Noon” is not inspired by any real-life events. The film is an adaptation of the novelist Denis Johnson’s best-selling novel of the same name, which was published in 1986. The well-known novel tells the story of an unidentified female journalist who works as a prostitute at a hotel at the time of the Nicaraguan Revolution in 1984. While working there, she meets an English businessman, which leads to the development of a romantic relationship between the two of them. On the other hand, the film that Claire Denis directs takes place in the current day and is based on a script that she, Léa Mysius, and Andrew Litvack wrote together.

Johnson wrote the novel based on the experiences he had while traveling across Costa Rica and Nicaragua around the year 1984. The author had originally intended to write a non-fiction news report for a magazine, but she changed her mind when she realized that writing fictitious tropes would bring in more money and be more recognizable to readers. It is interesting to note that he does not give any names to the characters in the work, and he refers to the backdrop of the Nicaraguan disturbance as a representation of hell. Johnson decided not to name his protagonists and let them fall in love while concealing their identities because he believed it was appropriate given that hell is mainly meaningless.

Reportedly, film director Claire Denis first became aware of the novel almost ten years ago and, upon recognizing the story’s potential, made the decision to begin adapting it for use in theaters. She explained her interpretation of the work to Variety in an interview, where she said that she saw it as an impossible love tale between two individuals who, if it weren’t for the Nicaraguan Revolution, never would have met. According to what the filmmaker had to say, “It’s also about the dread and the terror of love, as well as the fear of failure.”

In addition, Denis made the decision not to set the film in the 1980s like Johnson’s novel does, but rather in the midst of a pandemic in modern times. This was done so that the story would be more relatable to a modern audience. In order to keep the film’s authenticity, the director had originally intended to shoot on site in Nicaragua; however, given the current political climate in Nicaragua, he ultimately decided to shoot in Panama instead. In addition, Denis decided to give the story’s protagonists names in order to create a sense of comfort and familiarity for the reader.

Overall, ‘Stars at Noon’ examines a variety of topics, such as the shadowy side of love, political intrigues, and the ways in which people’s irrational fears drive them to turn to extreme methods for their own survival out of fear of losing something they value deeply. Despite the fact that it is largely a work of fiction, the romance subplot provides every member of the audience with something to which they can identify, making it possible for them to both agree and disagree with the motivations and choices made by the characters. In addition to this, the realistic depiction of Nicaragua’s political situation plays a significant part in elevating the narrative and adding to the ominous undertone of the love story that serves as the film’s focal point.

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Stars at Noon (2022 film) Bio

Premise

A young journalist from the United States who finds herself stranded in modern-day Nicaragua falls in love with a mysterious Englishman who appears to be her greatest hope of escaping. However, she quickly comes to the conclusion that he may be in an even more precarious situation than she is. The novel takes place at the time period of the Nicaraguan Revolution; however, the movie takes place in the present day during the epidemic.

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Cast

Margaret Qualley as Trish
Joe Alwyn as Daniel
Benny Safdie as CIA Man
Danny Ramirez as Costa Rican Policeman
John C. Reilly as American Boss
Nick Romano as Second Lieutenant
Stephan Proaño as Vice President
Monica Bartholomew as La Señora
Carlos Bennett as Taxi Driver Mercado
Sebastián Donoso as Taxi Driver 1
Hector Moreno as Travel Agent
Robin Duran as Costa Rican Border Chief
Jose Leonel Hernandez as Night Watchman

Production

A decade ago, when Claire Denis was reading Johnson’s novel, she interpreted it as a love tale between two individuals who build a relationship purely due to the background of the revolution. Denis’s interpretation inspired her to adapt the novel into a film. She continued, “It is also about the anxiety and horror associated with love, as well as the worry of falling short.

After a screening at the Brattle Theatre of her 2018 film High Life, which also starred Pattinson, Denis made a speculative announcement in April 2019 that the film’s development would continue and that Robert Pattinson would be cast in the role. A24 made the announcement in February of 2020 that they had purchased the distribution rights for North American territories to Claire Denis’s next directorial effort, which also stars Robert Pattinson and Margaret Qualley. That summer was scheduled to be the beginning of filming. After then, the beginning of filming was anticipated to take place in April of 2021, however it did not take place at that time. Pattinson would leave the picture in July owing to scheduling issues, and Taron Egerton would replace him. Filming is currently scheduled to begin in Panama in October 2021. This did not come to pass, and in November, Egerton quit the film owing to personal circumstances. Joe Alwyn was brought on to take his position as the lead actor. In January of 2022, it was revealed that Danny Ramirez would be participating in the cast. In April, it was announced that additional casting had been completed, including roles for Benny Safdie and John C. Reilly.

Beginning in December 2021, filming moved to Panama where it continued until 2022. Later on in that same month, production came to an end. Denis wanted to film the movie in Nicaragua, but she decided against it after the country’s president, Daniel Ortega, was re-elected. She explained her decision by saying, “I was aware that it was not possible for me to do so because it would be unethical.

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