Sweetland
When
Approximate running time: 2 hours
Venue
Event Notes
This is the story of an endangered Newfoundland community and the struggles of one man determined to resist its extinction. Directed by Christian Sparkes, this haunting adaptation of the novel by Michael Crummey is distinguished by its beautiful cinematography and a formidable central performance from Mark Lewis Jones.
The scarcely populated town of Sweetland is in slow decline when the mainland government offers each islander a generous resettlement package. The sole stipulation is that everyone must leave. But enigmatic, retired fisherman Moses (Mark Lewis Jones) is one of the last hold-outs. His outright refusal to accept the resettlement package antagonizes him against some of the other residents of his community, further isolating him as a result.
As he manages a diminishing food supply and battles the ravages of the weather, the border between the natural world and the supernatural world blur and he finds himself moved to acts of increasing desperation, only to be stymied again and again by the ruins of memory and the fierce will of nature.
Director: Christian Sparkes | Canada | 2024 | 105 minutes
Featuring: Sara Canning, Mark Lewis Jones, Mary Walsh
Distributor: Game Theory Films