Rebecca Hall channels Christine Chubbuck in new film
An old journalism quote "if it bleeds, it ledes," was disturbingly evoked in 1974 when Christine Chubbuck shot herself on live television. After reading the newscast, the local morning show host, announced her plans to take her own life and then put a gun to her head.
Over 40 years later, she remains an enigma. What was it that motivated her? Was it her growing discomfort with the station's penchant for gruesome news? Or was it that she was unsatisfied in her personal life, like her mother suggested? Or maybe both?
Rebecca Hall stars in the new film Christine, that explores her final days. For Hall, Chubbuck's story tends to fall into one of two categories - sympathy or horror.
But the film remains "incredibly empathetic," according to Hall. "It's a film about sensationalism without being sensationalistic."
The draw of this film, says Hall, is that it goes against the familiar narrative of the cool misfit. Instead it shows the reality of not belonging. "I don't know how many films there are, certainly about women, where it shows how painful it is to feel that you don't fit in."
With the film, directed by Antonio Campos, premiering this week at TIFF, Rebecca Hall joins guest host Candy Palmater in studio to share her experience in channeling Chubbuck.