Sydney Premiere – Closing Night

SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS

Sun 14th August | 8:30pm | Dendy Opera Quays

Dir: Ed Gass-Donnelly, Canada, 2010, 80 min | Cast: Peter Stormare, Jill Hennessy, Martha Plimpton

Hints of Malick and the Coen Brothers colour this strikingly original tale of crime and redemption

Walter is a police officer from a small Ontario Mennonite town who harbours both a strong sense of moral righteousness and a violent past. When a young, unidentified woman is found murdered, reactions in the shocked, suspicious community add to a difficult investigation, upsetting the calm of his newly reformed life.

This accomplished gothic drama uses a police procedural as a pretext for a fascinating character study, well-served by a towering central performance by Peter Stormare (Fargo). In a daring reversal of common practice, the adventurous filmmaker builds the film around its soundtrack – a haunting choral composition by indie rock/gospel collective Bruce Peninsula - casting a unique, unsettling spell on the viewer. Small Town Murder Songs is a minimalist masterpiece.

Screens with short film “The Closer You Get to Canada” (John Bolton, 10min)

“The unusual relationship of soundtrack to visuals, the depth of its spiritual component and the excellent ensemble of actors are impressive enough to make Gass-Donnelly a filmmaker to watch” – Screen International