“Your soul is outside of you and you must claim it.” The Match Factory has unveiled the first official promo trailer for the film Siberia, premiering at the Berlin Film Festival this week. This is the latest feature made by acclaimed filmmaker Abel Ferrara (Ms .45, China Girl, 4:44 Last Day on Earth, Tommaso) and stars Willem Dafoe. The short description says it’s “an exploration into the language of dreams.” Dafoe plays Clint, a damaged man who has retreated to a wintry remote mountain cabin where he hopes to find serenity. He runs a modest cafe where the rare traveler or native of the region visits. But even in his relative isolation he cannot find peace nor escape. On a fateful evening, to confront himself, he begins a journey by dogsled to the world he once knew. He travels through dreams, memory and imagination in an attempt to find his true nature. Sounds enthralling? This is certainly a very dreamy, mesmerizing trailer. Not so sure about this film.
A man flees from one world to another that is strange and cold. Furs and fires keep him warm; a cave serves as his shelter. He is a broken man who wants to be alone. But even isolation does not bring him inner peace. Once again, he goes on a journey, this time into the self. He explores his dreams, confronts memories and seeks out visions. The rare encounters with other people are in languages he does not speak, determined by bodies that fascinate him, and by types of love he explores and then loses. His journey becomes a dance with demons, but time and again it flares up: light. Siberia is directed by acclaimed American filmmaker Abel Ferrara, director of many films including Ms .45, China Girl, Bad Lieutenant, Body Snatchers, Dangerous Game, New Rose Hotel, Mary, 4:44 Last Day on Earth, Welcome to New York, Pasolini, and Tommaso previously. The screenplay is by Abel Ferrara and Christ Zois. This is premiering at the Berlin Film Festival this month. No other release date is set yet – stay tuned for updates. Who’s curious?
