Movie of the Week
‘Divergent’ director shoots new film entirely on iPhone
In ‘Inheritance’, partly shot in Egypt, a young woman suddenly finds herself at the centre of an international conspiracy.
Neil Burger, the director of science fiction movies Divergent and Limitless, has directed the first international film shot entirely on iPhone 13.
The new espionage thriller, Inheritance, follows Maya across Africa, Asia and the United States after she learns her father was once a spy. Suddenly, she finds herself at the centre of an international conspiracy.
Inheritance releases in Ster-Kinekor, Nu Metro and other independent cinemas today (21 February 2025).
“We use the iPhone for access, not as a gimmick,” says director Neil Burger. This enabled the team to shoot in crowded spaces like the markets of Cairo without disrupting the authenticity of the environment.
The technique allowed for guerrilla-style filming and brings a sense of immediacy to the screen.
The cast includes Phoebe Dynevor (Fair Play, and Bridgerton), and Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man, and Snowden).
Ifans says: “The exciting thing for me was shooting it all on an iPhone… it was very kinetic, immediate, exciting, and quick.”
Inheritance demonstrates that smartphones can be a practical tool for filmmaking, using mobile technology to achieve results comparable to traditional high-end production.
Unlike previous films that used iPhones as a novelty, Burger’s approach takes advantage of the device’s portability to integrate actors into real-world locations naturally.
The film highlights the potential of mobile technology beyond independent projects, showing its effectiveness in low-light conditions, action sequences, and location-based shooting without relying on bulky professional equipment.
