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“Pure Cinema. A bold, dazzling cinematic experiment.” – Film Threat

The Myth Comes to Life as Contemporary Folk Horror in this new and bold reimagining of the Greek myth Leda and the Swan.

Named one of the Top 10 Feature Narratives 2023 by Video Librarian.

Five years in the making, LEDA completed in 2022 as a multi-genre film that straddles MYTHOLOGY and FOLK HORROR with a technical excellence that is unique and cutting edge.

Shot in spectacular STEREO 3D, Leda is available to deliver in 3D as a Bluray 2D/3D unit, as well as a standard 2D DVD.

Winner: Audience Choice Award, Festival of Cinema, New York

Winner: Best Cinematography, Austin Arthouse Film Festival

Winner: Best Art/Experimental Feature, Another Hole in the Head Festival

Winner: Independent Music Awards

Leda and the Swan is a story and subject in art from Greek mythology in which the god Zeus, in the form of a swan, seduces and impregnates Leda. According to later Greek mythology, Leda bore Helen and Polydeuces, children of Zeus, while at the same time bearing Castor and Clytemnestra, children of her husband Tyndareus, the King of Sparta. The subject owed its sixteenth-century popularity to the paradox that it was considered more acceptable to depict a woman in the act of copulation with a swan than with a man.

In this re-imagining of the tale into a contemporary Folk Horror re-telling, Leda lives alone in a family estate. Haunted by a divine presence and recurring memories, she begins to lose touch with reality and time. Her dream-like world spirals into a nightmare of madness as her belly begins to grow.

Director Samuel Tressler IV took on this ambitious production on numerous fronts. Not only is the film in black and white, but it is wordless with cinematography by Nick Midwig (Mars) that will be studied for years to come . The result is an Arthouse cross-over from Ancient Myth to Folk Horror/Thriller.

“Tressler’s film is a captivating fever dream that uses music, sound effects, and startling imagery to weave its magical spell.” – John Seal, Berkeleyside.

“There is something nearly museum quality about this film. Highly Recommended” – Jason Zimmerman, The Sound View

“A joy to behold. A beautiful, literate masterpiece that stands out on its own in a world where cinema has become so frustratingly repetitive.” – Musique Machine

The ensemble cast includes Adeline Thery (Are We Not Cats) as Leda / Mother, CC King (The Murder of Nicole Brown) as the Young Leda, Douglas Cathro (A House of Sparrows) as the Father and Nicolle Marquez (The Geometries of Desire) as the cousin as well as others.

2022 / 75 Minutes / English / Black and White / A Film by Samuel Tressler IV

HOW TO ORDER:

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For group screening prices, please inquire.

In-home/personal use copies are available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FZoaom

WATCH THE TRAILER

Based on the true story of Orson Welles, Rose McClendon and their revolutionary Shakespeare production!

Produced by the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts in association with Warner Bros., this 14x Festival Winner tells the dramatic story of when, in 1936, Broadway star Rose McClendon and producer John Houseman convinced a gifted but untested 20-year-old Orson Welles to direct Shakespeare’s Macbeth with an all-Black cast in Harlem.

Set in Haiti, the production first earned the nickname “Haitian Vodou” fulfilling the element of witchcraft contained in the Shakespeare original. It later became more famously known as “Voodoo Macbeth”.

A box office sensation, the production, which toured the nation, was regarded as a landmark theatrical event for its innovative interpretation of the play, its success in promoting African-American theater, and its role in the development of Orson Welles as a new and powerful theatrical force.

It was before Citizen Kane and before War of the Worlds. It was dynamic and included Orson and Rose – who also played Lady Macbeth – clashing over everything from scene blocking to crew hires, while Houseman contended with a congressman hell-bent on shutting down what he deemed to be communist propaganda. In the end, Welles and McClendon overcame the political pressure, personal demons, and protests to realize their groundbreaking vision.

This 2021 film / 2022 theatrical release tells the story how Voodoo Macbeth was conceived and developed. Its dramatic and theatrical style is due, at least in part, to the extensive collaboration that went into the production itself. The large cast, numerous directors, multiple producers and the USC/Warner Bros. relationship results not only in incredible storytelling, but also in a new and exciting style of production itself.

The Volume of Festival Wins to Date Speak Loudly. Here are a few…

WINNER

Best Film – Harlem International Film Festival
Best Production – Harlem International Film Festival
Best Actress – Harlem International Film Festival
Best Film – Vail Film Festival
Best Director, Charlotte Black Film Festival
Best Ensemble Cast – San Diego International Film Festival
Director’s Choice Award / Independent Spirit Award – Sedona International Film Festival
Best Director – Catalina Film Festival
Best U.S. Feature – Catalina Film Festival
Best Actress – Catalina Film Festival
Best Actor – Catalina Film Festival

“A moving tribute to an indelible slice of history, that is finally being shared and celebrated! One of Orson Welles’ most pivotal moments, right before Citizen Kane, brought beautifully to life. This story was hidden for far too long, along with Rose McClendon’s wonderful legacy. Some say better late than never, but this story should be shouted from the rooftops, uncovering one of America’s hidden jewels, that was always meant to shine!” – Suzanne Marques, CBS Los Angeles.

“Impressive…the film’s production is itself a collaborative effort in the spirit of the Harlem theatre…”– J. Paul Johnson, 25 Years Later.

“This retelling of a very innovative part of theater and African American history is precious.” – Dwight Brown, National Newspaper Publishers Association.

“A fantastic example of team unity as there is never a sense of multiple voices trying to steer this project…with solid production design up and down the line and never a sense of doubt in the story that it is trying to capture.” – Dave Voigt, In The Seats.

“By all odds, my great success in my life was that play, because the opening night there were five blocks in which all traffic was stopped. You couldn’t get near the theatre in Harlem. Everybody who was anybody in the black or white world was there. And when the play ended there were so many curtain calls that finally they left the curtain open, and the audience came up on the stage to congratulate the actors. And that was magical.” – Orson Welles (1982 interview)

BONUS MATERIAL ON THE DISC VERSIONS

Audio Commentary
Actual 1936 footage from National Archives of the play that toured the country to interracial audiences.

2021 / Drama / 108 minutes / Color / English Language / A film directed by Agazi Desta, Sabina Vajrača, Hannah Bang, Christopher Beaton, Dagmawi Abebe, Victor Alonso-Berbel, Tiffany K. Guillen, Zoë Salnave, Ernesto Sandoval, Roy Arwas, and produced by Xiaoyuan Xiao, Miles Alva , Jason Phillips, John Watson.

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