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Kate Winslet's 'Ammonite' Takes On Paleontology, Patriarchy And Passion

Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan star in the new film, which imagines a romantic relationship between British paleontologist Mary Anning and Charlotte Murchison, the young wife of a geologist.
"I feel proud of myself now, as a 45-year-old woman, to have just played a role in which ... my age really shows on my face," says Kate Winslet. She plays British paleontologist Mary Anning in the new film <em>Ammonite.</em>

Mary Anning was just 12 years old in 1811 when she unearthed the skeleton of an ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that lived some 200 million years ago – and yet, most people have never heard of this self-taught, British paleontologist. With her new film Ammonite, Kate Winslet hopes to change that.

Anning's hands were always raw from digging, Winslet says. "She made so little money, she was completely impoverished. And yet she was remarkably uncomplaining. This was a stoic, kind, compassionate person."

Winslet and director

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