Midnight Screenings 2017 / A Dark Song / Ireland, United Kingdom 2016
Two strangers meet in an old house in order to undergo an occult ritual that no one has tried for centuries. In their utter isolation, which must be maintained for months, they become aware that their strengths and even their very lives are hanging by a thread. This minimalist movie makes use of a carefully constructed atmosphere to really get under your skin.
Sophia is gripped by a secret wish that means the world to her. In desperation, she rents a house miles away from civilization, and, under the guidance of black magic practitioner Joseph Solomon, she undergoes an occult ritual in order to make her wish come true. They pour a circle of salt around the entire building as a sign that they will have only each other to rely on for the next several months – and crossing the line will bring on dire consequences. As time passes, however, the ritual’s two participants discover that their faith in one another, their strength, and their very lives are hanging by a thread. And once they pass from the real world into the world of angels and demons, it’s too late to turn back… The carefully composed atmosphere of this highly disturbing minimalist film puts the viewer through a similarly intense experience: Once the film has gotten under your skin, it is too late to leave the darkened theater.
Hubert Poul
99 min / Color, DCP
Director Liam Gavin
/ Screenplay Liam Gavin
/ Dir. of Photography Cathal Watters
/ Editor Anna Maria O'Flanagan
/ Art Director Conor Dennison
/ Producer David Collins, Tim Dennison, Cormac Fox
/ Production Samson Films
/ Coproduction Tall Man Films
/ Cast Steve Oram, Catherine Walker
/ Sales Kaleidoscope Film Distribution
Liam Gavin is an Irish-Welsh filmmaker, author, and talented storyboard artist. He studied graphic design and illustration at St. Martin’s Art College in London, and he directed his first projects with First Foot Films, which produced two of his shorts: Day of Reckoning (2002) and Shooting Blanks (2003 – Best Film at the Portobello FF). But he earned wider recognition with the short movies he shot in cooperation with Samson Films. Sunshower (2009), for instance, was shown in the main program at the Palm Springs and Raindance festivals. His next work Jericho (2009) was shown at numerous festivals and won the Special Jury Award at the Ozu IFF. A Dark Song (2016) is his feature debut, and he is already preparing several other feature projects.
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