This Filthy Earth (2001)

The tragic story of two sisters whose lives are disrupted by two men. Amidst a landscape of rural hardship and a community consumed with superstition, events unfurl which threaten their sibling bond.

Director:

Andrew Kotting

Writers:

Émile Zola (novel), Andrew Kotting,

Stars:

Rebecca Palmer, Shane Attwooll, Demelza Randall

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rebecca Palmer	...	Francine
Shane Attwooll	...	Buto
Demelza Randall	...	Kath
Xavier Tchili	...	Lek
Dudley Sutton	...	Papa
Ina Clough	...	Armandine
Peter-Hugo Daly	...	Jesus Christ
Eve Steele	...	Megan
Ryan Kelly	...	Joey
Benji Ming	...	Perry
Bill Rodgers	...	Gibbon
George Neville	...	Barman
Rachel Kirk	...	Maggie
Etta Kotting	...	Etta
Stuart Richman	...	Mr. Holt

Storyline

The tragic story of two sisters whose lives are disrupted by two men. Amidst a landscape of rural hardship and a community consumed with superstition, events unfurl which threaten their sibling bond.

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Plot Keywords:

foreign language adaptation | based on novel

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 2001 (UK)

Also Known As:

Cette sale terre

Company Credits

Production Co:

East London Film Fund, Film Council, FilmFour

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min 115 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

User Reviews

a visual feast of uncompromising energy and honesty

This is a difficult film because it challenges our expectations about the whole point of seeing a film. This is an artistic experience which requires people to engage both their emotions and their brains. It inevitably produces a reaction, normally one of physical revulsion, but combined with a strong sense of pity for the endurance required to live the sort of life lived by the characters in the film. After a while the assault on the eyes,the use of vivid colours and images to portray a sort of ugliness, becomes watchable. Surely the story of the women and children, the portrayal of racism and the uncompromising nature of a rural culture of poverty is a challenge to our modern sensibilities. Surely it poses all sorts of questions when we contrast this with our sanitised, fetishistic relationship with designer capitalism in our everyday lives. This film is hard work and you need to be in the right frame of mind before settling down to watch. This is not quick-fix entertainment, but it is a special experience and therefore to be recommended. Several people I know preferred it on second watching.