If the suicide bomber drama, Day Night Day Night, proved anything it's that writer/director Julia Loktev isn't afraid to make movies that stir up controversy. She likes to get people fired up and talking after the credits have rolled, and based on the newly released trailer, she appears to have made another film that does just that in The Loneliest Planet.
Earning high marks coming out of last year's festival circuit, the film stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Hani Furstenberg as an engaged couple who embark on a summer-long hike through the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia. Although the trip is marked by lush locales and idyllic scenery, it isn't long before an event occurs that changes the way the couple view one another, with Bernal's character perceived as a coward. The trailer keeps the cause skillfully hidden, but the stark difference in tones is obvious.
The Russian-born Loktev based the film partly on Ernest Hemingway's short story, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, which was adapted into a 1947 film starring Gregory Peck. I've heard nothing but good things about The Loneliest Planet since last year, in particular regarding award-winning performance by Furstenberg. The film gets an arthouse release via Sundance Selects starting on October 26th. Check out the trailer below...
