In the gripping survival thriller ‘Eden’, Ron Howard explores the emotional depths of Sydney Sweeney’s character during a challenging birth scene, set against the backdrop of the Galápagos Islands.
Ron Howard Discusses Sydney Sweeney’s Intense Birth Scene in ‘Eden’
Neither Sydney Sweeney — nor her jeans — was harmed during the making of Ron Howard‘s new survival thriller Eden. However, the actress was undoubtedly put through the emotional wringer during one standout sequence from the film, which opens in theaters on Friday, nearly one year after its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Based on a true story, Eden unfolds a decade after the end of World War I, when German citizens Margret Wittmer (Sweeney) and her husband, Heinz (Daniel Brühl), left their native land to start a new life on one of the Galápagos Islands.
The Quest for Utopia
The couple follows in the footsteps of fellow expatriate and botanist Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law), who fled war-ravaged Europe with his wife Dora (Vanessa Kirby) to create a new world in the tropics. Yet, their ambitions clash with the harsh realities of attempting to build a utopia from scratch, including a lack of resources, food shortages, and in Margret’s case, a risky pregnancy. Complicating matters further is the arrival of the hedonistic Eloise (Ana de Armas) — a pretend baroness who prioritizes her own comfort above all else.
A Tense Labor Scene
From their first encounter, Margret is wary of Eloise’s intentions for setting up camp near the cave that serves as Margret and Heinz’s homestead. Her suspicions are validated when Eloise sends her all-male entourage to raid their supplies just as Margret goes into labor while alone, coinciding with a pack of wild dogs appearing at her doorstep.
The resulting birth scene, lasting nearly 10 minutes, stands out as one of the most harrowing sequences in Howard’s filmography. The Oscar-winning director credits Sweeney for her remarkable emotional connection to the scene.
“It was challenging, but Sydney was so impressive and emotionally connected,” Howard tells Gold Derby. “She wanted to deliver for the audience, for us the filmmakers, and for the real Margret Wittmer. I’ll always remember how tenacious she was in executing that scene — and that’s the way she was throughout the entire movie.” (The real Wittmer lived on Floreana Island in the Galápagos from 1932 until her death in 2000 at the age of 95.)
Filming Challenges
Howard reveals that the entire birth sequence took roughly eight days to film in 100-degree heat and required both first and second unit crews, the latter overseen by Eden screenwriter Noah Pink. “We had an actual doula come in and help Sydney during pre-production and she was there during filming, too,” he adds. “This is something that really happened to Margret, and I wanted the women in the audience to recognize the authenticity of what she went through. Of course, what most women don’t face while giving birth is a pack of wild dogs!”
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According to Pink, the dogs enjoyed some on-set perks that their human counterparts did not. “We had these little cabins that were air-conditioned to keep the actors cool,” he recalls. “But those were for the dogs that day!”
“I love dogs, so the hardest part about that scene for me was not being able to pet them,” he adds. “They were working, but I just wanted to snuggle them.”
Careful Direction
Even on an eight-day schedule, the demanding logistics of the sequence left Howard and Sweeney with little time to improvise. “The sequence was very carefully shot-listed,” the veteran filmmaker explains. “We combined first and second unit a lot. But as much as we discussed it, some stuff still had to be discovered in the moment.”
Howard also highlights another sequence from Eden as one of his favorites: an extended lunch hosted by Eloise, where she serves the other guests — including Margret and Heinz — food she has stolen from them. “That was a case where we had to shoot nine or 10 pages in a day-and-a-half,” he remembers. “The entire ensemble was there, and they were so supportive of each other. Ana had to go so out there on a limb creatively with her performance! It terrified her, but she executed it brilliantly.”
