Aussie filmmaker Tony Krawitz first drew international notice and won accolades in 2005 with Jewboy, a dramatic short he wrote and helmed that starred Ewan Leslie as a orthodox Jew struggling to find his place in the world and within his own family. Besides taking home honors from the Australian Film Institute for Best Short Fiction Film and Best Short Screenplay, Jewboy earned coveted spots in the Cannes Film Festival as well as at Sundance.
Now at last Krawitz offers his narrative feature follow-up Dead Europe. The drama, which made its world premiere Friday night at the Toronto International Film Festival, reteams Krawitz with Leslie, who stars as Isaac, an Australian photographer who learns some dark secrets while mourning the death of his father. Per his father's last wishes, Isaac takes his ashes to Greece with plans to disperse them from a scenic vista. But when he's stopped by a someone who declares the ashes of a cursed man will not be allowed to sully this land, he's sent on a strange journey to uncover his father's crime, and possibly to make recompense. Intrigued? Check out the film's first trailer below:
Coming from the producers of Shame and Animal Kingdom, it's little wonder the film is drawing buzz for Leslie's powerful central performance. But also on board for this tense drama is Marton Csokas, who played Tom Wilkinson's younger half in the 2010 spy thriller The Debt, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, who continues his streak of creepy kid roles from Let Me In and ParaNorman. Could this drama that even in the trailer seems to vibrate with tension be a contender for acting honors this award season? Even if not, it seems certain we'll be hearing more about Ewen Leslie.
