Is A Day and a Half based on a true story? We explain the 2023 Netflix movie and analyze whether it’s based on true events.
Often, when you have spent a Summer watching the big blockbusters that tend to get released at that time of year, you can end up longing for something that is just a little more low-key.
A low budget often means that filmmakers have to be more creative with what they are working with. Writing and acting have to be through the roof in order to keep viewers invested, and cinematography is paramount.
With no special effects and CGI, skill and talent rise to the forefront, and this year, more than most, I would much rather watch a well-made low-budget movie than a big-budget spectacle that has no soul.
A Day and a Half is one such film.
A small film with a big ambition and a complex story that is easy to invest in, characters that seem real, and are presented as normal people in an extraordinary scenario, and mostly filmed in a car, the film has got people talking.
You can read a full review of the movie right here on the site, but it seems that many of you out there are interested in the screenplay, so if you enjoyed the movie and would like to know a little more, relax as we answer at least one question about the film, is A Day and a Half based on a true story?
What is A Day and a Half about?
The Swedish film follows Artan, who enters a local healthcare center with a gun in order to talk to his estranged wife Louise and find out where their young daughter Cassandra is. Artan was charged with assault and lost custody of his daughter.
In a moment of madness, he kidnaps Louise, and a police officer called Lucas, placing them in a car in an attempt to find out where his daughter is.
The story unfolds between the characters in the vehicle as truths emerge, and we start to understand the motivations behind the incident.
Is A Day and a Half based on a true story?
Yes, the story is based on a real event that occurred. This is the first film from director Fares Fares, someone who is more well-known in front of the camera than behind it, being an actor first and foremost. This is his first time directing, and he also helped write the screenplay alongside journalist Peter Smirnakos, another first-time collaborator.
Fares was inspired by an article that he read back in 2008 that pretty much told the same story.
The short article about an armed man desperate to find his daughter stuck with the actor, who wondered about the emotional state that he would be in to make the decision to do this.
However. although the initial premise of the film is based on the real-life incident, the main body of the film, and the narrative that is explored between the characters, is fiction and written for the screen.
Is A Day and a Half based on real people?
The incident was based on a real event, but the people involved are fictitious and have been written for the film.
The film comes from a screenplay that was written around the incident and fleshes out the characters involved, but apart from the premise, the dialogue and series of events are fiction.
