Monday 13 June
10am, 6:30pm
Director Uberto Pasolini
United Kingdom
Drama
96 minutes
John, a 35-year-old window cleaner, has dedicated his life to bringing up his 4-year-old son, Michael, after the child’s mother left them soon after giving birth. When John is given only a few months left to live, he attempts to find a new, perfect family for Michael, determined to shield him from the terrible reality of the situation. Although initially certain of what he is looking for in the perfect family, John gradually abandons his early convictions, over- whelmed by doubts on the decision. How can he judge a family from a brief encounter? And does he know his own child well enough to make this choice for him? As John struggles to find the right answer to his impossible task, he comes to accept the help of a young social worker, opening himself to solutions he would never have considered.
Norton shows his depths here with a finely judged turn, bouncing between anger, frustration, affection and despair. It’s a strong film all around, poised and more delicately emotional than the subject might suggest. – Paul Byrnes, SMH
By their nature, modest stories are easily overlooked. Give Pasolini’s “little” film a chance, though, and the specialness of this project will blow you away. – Charlotte O’Sullivan, London Evening Standard
Uberto Pasolini’s film takes a real-life story as his starting point and turns this tiny Northern Ireland-set tale into an almost sensory experience. – Screen Daily