Beach House Presents: MORVERN CALLAR
Director(s): Lynne Ramsay
Film description: We asked Beach House's Alex and Victoria to pick a favorite film to introduce, and we're thrilled they selected this second feature by Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher, You Were Never Really Here, We Need to Talk About Kevin). From the moody chills of Scotland to the sun-bleached beaches of southern Spain, Morvern Callar immerses viewers in a vibrant sense of place as it follows Samantha Morton as a young woman who takes some liberties reinventing herself in the wake of her boyfriend's death.
Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand are Beach House, the Baltimore-based musical duo that has given us eight impeccable studio albums, including Beach House (2006), Teen Dream (2010), Depression Cherry (2015), and Once Twice Melody (2022). Beach House will not be performing at this screening; they've selected the film and will say a few words of introduction before we all enjoy it together.
Programmers notes: The first time I asked Beach House to select a favorite film to introduce was also a first: the 2017 edition of Maryland Film Festival, the first event to take place in the then newly renovated Parkway Theatre. They selected Agnès Varda’s poetic, itinerant 1985 narrative Vagabond, and that screening became the first 35mm print screen in the Parkway in more than 30 years. Now here we are, 6 years after that screening, with a new festival in another historic venue—and the film they’ve selected is every bit as special.
Poetic master of mood Lynne Ramsay’s second feature MORVERN CALLAR is a breathtaking, experiential narrative featuring evocative locations, intuitive use of music and sound design, and an iconic lead performance by Samatha Morton. As with Vagabond, it’s a great aesthetic match for the shimmeringly beautiful and mysterious body of work Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand have given us. One can guess some of the reasons why they might be drawn to it. But don’t guess: come hear them introduce it, and then let’s all enjoy this exceptional film together.
Writer(s): Lynn Ramsay, Liana Dognini
Producer(s): George Faber, Charles Pattinson, Robyn Slovo
Editor(s): Lucia Zucchetti
Cinematographer(s): Samantha Morton, Kathleen McDermott, Paul Popplewell, Ruby Milton, Dolly Wells, Dan Cadan
Country of origin: UK
Principal cast: Samantha Morton, Kathleen McDermott, Paul Popplewell, Ruby Milton, Dolly Wells, Dan Cadan
Language: English
Year: 2002
Duration: 1 hr 37 min
