A soldier must fight for his own survival as well as the cause of his people in this powerful drama from acclaimed Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski. A pair of American security operatives (Zach Cohen and Iftach Ofir) are on patrol in Afghanistan when they stumble upon a Taliban fighter (Vincent Gallo).
Captured by the US military in Afghanistan, Mohammed is transported to a secret detention centre in Europe. When the vehicle he is riding in crashes, he finds himself suddenly free and on the run in a snow-blanketed forest, a world away from the desert home he knew. Relentlessly pursued by an army that does not officially exist, Mohammed must confront the necessity to kill in order to survive.
AVAILABLE FOR FREE TV – Feature film. Cylinder co-production in collaboration with Polish Skopia Film, French Iliade and Irish Element Pictures. Supported by The Norwegian Film Fund and Eurimage. Directed by the awarded Polish screenwriter and director Jerzy Skolimovski, At the 67th Venice International Film Festival the film won the Special Jury Prize and Best Actor (the Volpi Cup) for Vincent Gallo’s wordless performance, in addition to the CinemAvvenire Award for Best Film In Competition.
Distribution for Scandinavian television: Cylinder Production AS. Available for free TV and pay TV.
83 minutes, 35mm, color – 1:1.85 – Dolby Digital
A production of
SKOPIA FILM (Poland)
CYLINDER PRODUCTION AS (Norway)
ELEMENT PICTURES (Ireland)
MYTHBERG FILMS (Hungary)
In association with
CANAL+ POLAND
SYRENA FILMS
PRIZES / FESTIVALS
2010 – Venice International Film Festival – Special Jury Prize
2010 – Vincent Gallo Venice Festival – Best Actor
2010 – Mar del Plata Film Festival – Golden Astor for Best Film
2010 – Mar del Plata Film Festival – Silver Astor for Best Actor: Vincent Gallo
2010 – ACCA Award : Best Film in the International Competition
2011 – Polish Film Awards – Eagle for Best Film
2011 – Polish Film Awards – Eagle for Best Director Jerzy Skolimowski Orzeł
2011 – Polish Film Awards – Eagle for Best Music: Paweł Mykietyn
2011 – Polish Film Awards – Eagle for Best Editing: Réka Lemhényi/Maciej Pawliński
2011 – Polish Film Festival Gdynia – Golden Lion for Best Film
2011 – Polish Film Festival Gdynia – Best Director: Jerzy Skolimowski
2011 – Polish Film Festival Gdynia – Best Cinematography: Adam Sikora
2011 – Polish Film Festival Gdynia – Best Music: Paweł Mykietyn
2011 – Polish Film Festival Gdynia – Best Editing: Réka Lemhényi/Maciej Pawliński
2011 – Sopot (Sopot Film Festival) – Grand Prix
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Essential Killing premiered in Norwegian cinemas February 25. 2011. Now available on Blu-ray
Film facts
Tittel: Essential Killing
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Lengde: 1t 23 min.
Regi: Jerzy Skolimowski
Manus: Jerzy Skolimowski og Ewa Piaskowska
Produsert av Jerzy Skolimowski og Ewa Piaskowska
Co-produsert av:
Cylinder Production AS ved Ingrid Lill Høgtun, Gaute Lid Larssen, Jan-Erik Gammleng, Mythberg Films Kft v/ Jozsef Berger og Element Pictures v/ Andrew Lowe.
Distribusjon: Europafilm A/S
Press ESSENTIAL KILLING
Hanne Liseth
v/Kulturmeglerne AS
Kongensgate 23
0153 Oslo
Mobil: +47 90 82 19 51
Cylinder Production AS
Gaute Lid Larssen – gaute(at)cylinder.no
Mobil: +47 92 22 66 00