“Everyone has a place here in Marwen,” Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) speaks about an imaginary town he has build to find therapeutic relief and help himself heal and feel heroic. The town is a scale model of Belgian-based during the World War II and the inhabitants are women dolls. He is heard saying, “the women of Marwen protects me.” The protagonist has suffered a near death situation where some Nazis-thugs beat him and it was a miracle that he survived. This devastating attack shatters Hogancamp and wipes away all his memories. It wasn’t expected by anyone that he would recover.
The world of Marwen is created by putting together pieces from his old and new life. As he builds an awe-inspiring art installation—a testament to the most powerful women he knew—through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one.
The movie is directed by the Academy award winner, Robert Zemeckis, who also made Forrest Gump, Flight, and Cast Away. Through Welcome to Marwen, he intends to spread the message that when your only weapon is your imagination, then you’ll find courage in the most unexpected places. It is produced by Oscar winner producer Steve Starkey (Forrest Gump, Flight), Jack Rapke (Cast Away, Flight), and Cherylanne Martin (The Pacific, Flight). Jackie Levine and Jeff Malmberg (Riveting 2000 documentary) acts as the executive producers. Atomic Fiction and Framestore are producing the animation and visual effects under VFX supervisor Kevin Baillie.
“I was a hell of a good artist and now I can barely write my name, so my dolls have to tell the story,” says Hogancamp who brings Welcome to Marwen to the theatres on 21 November.
