Sydney Sweeney was stunned when she discovered that Ron Howard's film “Eden” was based on a true story

At first glance, you might think that a film about a group of people who leave Europe in the 1930s to live and make a living on the uninhabited Galápagos island of Floreana is just a new twist on a typical survival story. But in the case of Ron Howard's “Eden,” it is actually a true story – and that definitely surprised Sydney Sweeney and her collaborators.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday and stars Ana de Armas, Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl and more. At a gathering at TheWrap 2024 TIFF Studio, sponsored by Moët & Chandon and Boss Design, Sweeney and de Armas both said they were stunned to learn the truth about what happened.

“You read about all these crazy characters, it's impossible that they're all real, and they all come together and have all these experiences,” Sweeney recalls of the first reading of the script. “But then I went and read Dora [Strauch’s] Book, and I read Margret [Wittmer’s] I read the book and found all the newspaper clippings with all their stories. It's the wildest report you can imagine.”

The “Euphoria” actress was even more overwhelmed by the group’s “determination” to go their own way, to travel a long way and to long Time to create a new situation for herself. In fact, she admitted that she thinks “a lot” about the idea of ​​”being able to escape” to a new country.

“It’s the most fascinating look at people and humanity,” Sweeney added.

De Armas, too, was shocked by the truth of the whole thing, especially given the time period.

“I had no idea about it and thought it was crazy, very brave and just unbelievable,” she told TheWrap. “And if it's true, if they don't tell you and you see evidence of it, a documentary or newspapers or whatever you can find, it's hard to believe that these people back in the '30s would have taken a trip to an island to start from scratch.”

Of course, de Armas was very touched by the story – and she believes it will be the same for others – and noted that she had already has left his home to seek something better but unknown.

“I mean, it feels real. I did it myself. I came from a place where I felt like it wasn't working for me anymore,” she explained at length. “And I found my little piece of Eden, my paradise, and it's the best thing I've ever done.”

You can watch TheWrap’s full interview with de Armas, Sweeney and Brühl in the video above.

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