HEDONISM AND PSYCHEDELIA ARE ON TAP IN THIS
DOCU-FICTION HYBRID, A COMING-OF-AGE HOMAGE
TO A LOST GENERATION OF LISBON YOUTH
DAMNED SUMMER
Street Date: August 13, 2019
DVD/Digital: $24.95
A Golden Leopard Nominee at Locarno and a 2018 Cannes Acid Section Selection, the Acclaimed Feature Film Debut by Portuguese Director Pedro Cabeleira Will Also Be Available Via IndiePix Unlimited on Amazon Channels
Idling afternoons and psychedelic moods immersed in music provide an adrenaline rush for drifting youth in Lisbon in DAMNED SUMMER, a docu-fiction hybrid from first-time Portuguese director Pedro Cabeleira. Chico’s summer starts at home, with his grandparents, under the cover of the lemon trees; an outlet, the place of his childhood memories. But now, he belongs to Lisbon, where he just finished college and hopes to find a career. Part of a new generation, Chico has few prospects or expectations, and reaching adulthood seems to be perpetually delayed. Intoxicated nights of affections and heartbreak propel him into psychedelic hedonism, where burning anguish and aimlessness fuel his euphoria in this homage to the mysteries of youth.
Produced on a shoestring budget by creative collective Videolotion, shooting for DAMNED SUMMER began when Cabeleira was 21 years-old, intent on capturing an authentic and youthful Bohemian energy; the majority of his cast and crew was younger, with lead actor Pedro Marujo beginning as an non-actor with zero experience. Shot over 43 days spanning 7 months, DAMNED SUMMER premiered at Locarno International Film Festival, where it won a Special Mention – Filmmakers of the Present Award.
A CHANCE MEETING AT NIAGRA FALLS LEADS TO A
SURREAL ROMANCE FOR TWO TWENTYSOMETHINGS
IN THIS FESTIVAL FAVORITE DRAMA
THE WHIRLPOOL
Street Date: August 13, 2019
DVD/Digital: $24.95
Available on DVD, Leading Digital Platforms and IndiePix Unlimited,
Bonus Programming Features a Making-of Featurette
Two twentysomething strangers, Agathe and Victor, meet on holiday at Niagara Falls. Both lost souls – Agathe, adopted and bogged down in a complex relationship with her therapist, Victor coping with a family drama — impulsively decide to share a motel room, romance evolves into a road trip across New York State to the airport in Boston. Uninhibited sexual chemistry, organic moments of humor, and improvised, unrehearsed acting converge in this vibrant, non-linear narrative throwback to vibrantly experimental period of late sixties cinema.
Influenced by Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, Jack Cardiff’s The Girl on a Motorcycle and Stanley Donen’s Two for the Road, THE WHIRLPOOL was shot over 11 days spread over 5 weeks in 3 countries (USA, France, and Canada) on a $6000 budget. Filmed with small hand-held cameras, including an iPhone, the production originated in e-mails between director Alvin Case and the French actress Feoux and their correspondence provided ideas for the storyline, the locations and possible themes. THE WHIRLPOOL premiered as a part of the Bright Future Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it was hailed as “a kaleidoscopic drama with stunningly beautiful cinematography.”
BONUS FEATURE
Making-of interviews with lead actress Agathe Feoux and lead actor Pierre Perrier
