Keisha Castle-Hughes 2011

The Vintner's Luck - trailer HD

About Keisha Castle-Hughes' The Vintner's Luck

In 19th century France, a peasant winemaker endeavors to create the perfect vintage. The Vintner's Luck is a somewhat perplexing film. Based on a novel by Elizabeth Knox and adapted for the screen by Joan Scheckel and writer/director Niki Caro it comes across as a patchwork quilt - many fine story lines that don't seem to fit together into a grand whole. Niki Caro has some fine films in her resume - The Whale Ride, North Country, Memory & Desire - so she has proved that she knows her craft. She is supported by an astonishingly fine group of actors, a sensitive cinematographer (Denis Lenoir) and one of the best teams of costume designers (Justin Buckingham and Harry Harrison) and music composer Antonio Pinto, yet the story never becomes airbourne - and that is a particularly important factor in this film. The year is 1815 and Sobran Jodeau (Jérémie Renier in yet another brilliant performance) is a peasant winemaker working or a château owned by Comte de Vully (Patrice Valota). Sobran falls in love with another peasant, Celeste (Keisha Castle-Hughes) despite the warning's about Celeste's mad father Sobran's father (Vania Vilers) claims Sobran will be doomed. Sobran longs to have his own vineyard and to make his own wine and one evening an angel (Gaspard Ulliel) appears to Sobran and encourages him to marry Celeste and begin his own vines and to meet the angel again in a year's time. A year later Sobran again meets his angel and reports he is not only married but that Celeste is pregnant. The angel encourages him to bravely begin his own vineyard. Sobran's goal is interrupted crop failure and by his going off to fight in Napoleon's war. He returns to the demise of Comte de Vully and the takeover of the Château by the counts niece, the beautiful Aurora de Valday (Vera Farmiga). Though Sobran and Aurora represent different classes they join together to make their dream of the perfect wine come true and there is a physical attraction that is consummated despite Sobran's commitment to his wife and children. Sobran meets his angel again and we sense the angel and Sobran are in love but a confession on the part of the angel creates a schism and form there the fortune of Sobran begins to dwindle until the resurgence of hope at the end: Sibran, Aurora, and Celestehave aged and Sobran's children are mature. The secrets of Sobran's heavenly vintage are revealed at last. 'A Heavenly Vintage is a beautiful and sensual tale about what it takes to create the perfect vintage.'

Keisha Castle-Hughes quotes # 2

"Your private life should be private. I reckon that's a good thing that you talk about your work and you talk about what you're doing, but without having to go into how your brother's been and how your mum's been because none of that's really relevant."

Keisha Castle-Hughes - Legend of the Seeker

Well Keisha was only temp character on Legend of the Seeker. But here is what the show was about. Millions of readers the world over have been held spellbound by this valiant tale vividly told. Now, enter Terry Goodkind's world, the world of The Sword of Truth. In the aftermath of the brutal murder of his father, a mysterious woman, Kahlan Amnell, appears in Richard Cypher's forest sanctuary seeking help...and more. His world, his very beliefs, are shattered when ancient debts come due with thundering violence. In their darkest hour, hunted relentlessly, tormented by treachery and loss, Kahlan calls upon Richard to reach beyond his sword-to invoke within himself something more noble. Neither knows that the rules of battle have just changed...or that their time has run out. This is the beginning. One story. One Rule. Witness the birth of a legend.

Keisha Castle-Hughes pix from GP

Keisha Castle-Hughes Spirit Awards and Green Peace pix

Keisha Castle-Hughes quotes

(about her 'Whale Rider' character)
Keisha: I think we're both strong willed and independent, and Pai has a great unique quality about her. She's an 11-year-old girl who's confident about who she is and knows exactly who she is. Not many 11-year-old girls are like that. She's a great role model for young girls. I think I'm like that too.