Axiom Films Catalogue 2014 June 2014 | Page 9

BALLAST (2008) A film by Lance Hammer A double prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival and one of the most critically acclaimed American independent films of recent years, BALLAST is a stunningly evocative story of personal catastrophe and communal redemption. In the cold winter light of the Mississippi Delta, three lonely people stumble under the weight of a shared tragedy. Lawrence is paralyzed with grief after the loss of his twin brother. Twelve-yearold James drifts into the perilous orbit of local teenagers while his single mother, Marlee, is too exhausted from her menial job to interpret the clues. When sudden violence forces mother and son to flee their home in the night, they alight desperately on Lawrence’s property. Though this provides safe harbor, it rekindles the fury of a bitter, longstanding conflict. Writer-director Lance Hammer, together with British Cinematographer Lol Crawley (Four Lions) and his gifted cast of local, non-professional actors, has created an unflinching, profoundly humane story of lost souls forced by circumstance to seek solace in the most unlikely of places. “electrifying” Philip French, THE OBSERVER “perfect.” 4 STARS Nigel Andrews, FINANCIAL TIMES 4 STARS THE INDEPENDENT 4 STARS DAILY TELEGRAPH WINNER – DIRECTING AND CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARDS – Sundance Film Festival WINNER – BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR AWARD – Gotham Awards Bonus Features: • “Ballast Scene Development” (36 minutes) • Exclusive limited edition collector’s booklet Certificate: 15 Running Time: 93 minutes Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audio: Stereo 2.0, optional 5.1 Country: USA Language: English with optional English HOH subtitles Genre: Drama Region: 2 Cat. No: AXM627 Barcode: 5060126870791