CANNES, France (AP) 鈥� While Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York, an origin story for the Republican presidential candidate premiered at the on Monday, unveiling a scathing portrait of the former president in the 1980s.
鈥淭he Apprentice,鈥� directed by the Iranian Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, stars Sebastian Stan as Trump. The central relationship of the movie is between Trump and (Jeremy Strong), the defense attorney who was chief counsel to
Cohn is depicted as a longtime mentor to Trump, coaching him in the ruthlessness of New York City politics and business. Early on, Cohn aided the Trump Organization when it was being sued by the federal government for racial discrimination in housing.
鈥淭he Apprentice,鈥� which is labeled as inspired by true events, portrays Trump's dealings with Cohn as a Faustian bargain that guided his rise as a businessman and, later, as a politician. Stan's Trump is initially a more naive real-estate striver, soon transformed by Cohn's education.
The film notably contains a scene depicting Trump raping his wife, Ivana Trump (played by . In Ivana Trump鈥檚 1990 divorce deposition, . Trump denied the allegation and Ivana Trump later said she didn鈥檛 mean it literally, but rather that she had felt violated.
That scene and others make 鈥淭he Apprentice鈥� a potentially explosive big-screen drama in the midst of the . The film is for sale in Cannes, so it doesn't yet have a release date.
Variety on Monday surrounding 鈥淭he Apprentice.鈥� Citing anonymous sources, the trade publication reported that the former owner of the Washington Commanders and an investor in 鈥淭he Apprentice,鈥� has pressured the filmmakers to edit the film over its portrayal of Trump. Snyder previously donated to Trump's presidential campaign.
Neither representatives for the film nor Snyder could immediately be reached for comment.
In the press notes for the film, Abbasi, whose depicts a female journalist investigating a serial killer in Iran, said he didn't set out to make 鈥渁 History Channel episode.鈥�
鈥淭his is not a biopic of Donald Trump," said Abbasi. "We鈥檙e not interested in every detail of his life going from A to Z. We鈥檙e interested in telling a very specific story through his relationship with Roy and Roy鈥檚 relationship with him.鈥�
Regardless of its political impact, 鈥淭he Apprentice鈥� is likely to be much discussed as a potential awards contender. The film, shot in a gritty '80s aesthetic, returns Strong to a New York landscape of money and power a year following the conclusion of Strong, who's currently performing on Broadway in didn't attend the Cannes premiere Monday.
鈥淭he Apprentice鈥� is playing in competition in Cannes, making it eligible for the festival's top award, the Palme d'Or. At Cannes, filmmakers and casts hold a movie's premiere. 鈥淭he Apprentice鈥� press conference will be Tuesday.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
