Sisters
Douglas Buck (2006 92 min, 35mm, 1.85)
Chloe Sevigny, Stephen REa, Lou Doillon
A modern rendition of Sisters (1973), a film by Brian De Palma. A reporter witnesses a brutal murder, and becomes entangled in a mystery involving a pair of Siamese twins who were separated at birth, one of them forced to live under the eye of a watchful, controlling psychiatrist.
CHLOE SEVIGNY – Known in the mid to late nineties for her status as a fashion impresario and “it girl,” with over a dozen art house films to her credit, Chloe Sevigny also stands out as one of the most prominent queens of contemporary independent cinema. Originally hailing from Darien, Connecticut, Sevigny attributes weekend trips into nearby New York City in her teens as an important early saving grace from her super rich and stuffy hometown. It was on one such trip at the age of eighteen, that Sevigny was spotted on the street by a fashion editor for Sassy magazine. Impressed by her flair for street fashion, the editors of the progressive teen mag asked Sevigny to intern in their offices which led to a few modeling jobs with both Sassy and x-girl, the urban clothing line created by Sonic Youth front woman Kim Gordon. At this time Sevigny also spent a lot of her time watching the skateboarders who convened in New York’s Tompkins square park. It was here that she met young aspiring director Harmony Korine, and a friendship ensued, resulting in her being cast as the lead in Korine and Larry Clark’s collaboration Kids (1995). At around the same time Sevigny snagged the cover of Interview magazine, and even inspired writerJay McInerney to write a piece about her for The New Yorker in which he hailed her the new “it girl.” The late nineties saw Sevigny continuing her acting career with a string of independent films, among them Trees Lounge (1996), Palmetto (1998), and Whit Stillman’s homage to early 80s yuppiedom The Last Days of Disco (1998). In 1997 Sevigny and Korine teamed up again to make Gummo (1997), in which Sevigny both starred and acted as chief costume designer. It was in 2000 however that Sevigny’s career made a turn towards more mainstream recognition when her portrayal of Lana Tisdel in Boys Don’t Cry (1999) garnered her an Oscar nod at the age of twenty-five. Known for signing on to projects based on her interest in a good script rather than a hefty price tag, one of Sevigny’s most recent roles, making the climb from indie princess to A list actress, should see her surprising both audiences and Hollywood alike with roles in interesting and thoughtful projects.
STEPHEN REA – Actor born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He attended Belfast High School and the Queen’s University, where he studied English. He later trained at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin. In 1970s, he acted in the Focus Company in Dublin with the talentedGabriel Byrne and Colm Meaney. After several stage, television and film appearances, he came to international success with his performance in The Crying Game (1992). He was nominated an Oscar for Best Actor.
LOU DOILLON – Daughter of director Jacques Doillon and actress Jane Birkin, half-sister of Charlotte Gainsbourg, half-sister in law of Yvan Attal, Lou was born in the French movie industry. She had a rebellious adolescence, and started her acting career as her mother’s daughter in Le petit amour (1988). Then, her father offered her her first great role in a movie, it was Trop (peu) d’amour (1998), and she also played in Bad Company (1999). She became a model because of her atypical beauty and is now a star in the French and European movie industry.
DOUGLAS BUCK – With his edgy and often extreme short films, a continuing presence at both US underground film festivals and international genre festivals abroad, filmmaker Douglas Buck has been flying just under the radar of the mainstream for close to a decade now. Growing up in Long Island, Buck was infatuated with film very early on, but it wasn’t until after college, and moving into New York City, that he started taking filmmaking seriously. Supporting himself by day as an engineer (eventually overseeing the entire continuing electrical airfield design work for both JFK and LaGuardia Airports), at night Buck began to associate with legendary maverick director Abel Ferrera, as well as crazed but brilliant underground writer Zoe Lund.
LARRY FESSENDEN – A New Yorker who has established an iconic reputation in the independent film world. He is an actor and producer, known for HABIT (1995), THE LAST WINTER (2006) and I SELL THE DEAD (2008).
STEPHEN BELAFONTE – A producer and director, known for Thank You for Smoking (2005),Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) and Mutant Chronicles (2008). He has been married to Melanie Brown since June 6, 2007. They have one child. He was previously married to Nancy Carmell.
EDWARD R. PRESSMAN – With over 80 diverse motion pictures and more than 30 years of experience to his credit, native New Yorker and film producer Edward R. Pressman has forged a career of international renown, marked by originality and eclecticism. Throughout his maverick career, he has brought numerous emerging filmmakers together with projects that have put them firmly on the map. Pressman’s reputation as a daring filmmaker was cemented with the international recognition of the French Cinematheque, which presented a 1989 retrospective of his films and awarded him the esteemed Chevalier Des Arts et Letters medal. He’s also received tributes from The National Film Theatre in London, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Pacific Film Archives and Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Cinematék. In 2003, Pressman was honored with the IFP Gotham Award for lifetime achievement.