The Descendant (a.k.a Blanket of Secrecy)

B.O.S. Productions
Circus Maximus Films & Eklectika Moving Pictures (U.K.)
present :

The Descendant

"Fantastic! A film worthy of attention." (Film Threat)

We are now on MySpace: www.myspace.com/descendantmovie

Latest News

March 20, 2008: A great article has just appeared on the prestigious OFF/SCREEN site: http://www.offscreen.com/biblio/pages/essays/grave_disturbance/

February 6th, 2008: We have just learned that The Eighth Annual Fargo International Film Festival has accepted the film to play there in early March. Yes, that’s the same Fargo that was the setting for the famous Coen Brothers film. 2008 is looking good so far!

January 21st, 2008: Historic news! B.O.S. Productions has just signed a sales deal with Imageworks Entertainment International. Executive producer Philippe Chabot and producer Philippe Spurrell first met with Imageworks head David Shoshan at AFM 2007 last November and have since finalized a deal that makes the L.A. based company official foreign sales agent for the film. Mr. Shoshan is also on the board of directors for the Independent Film and Television Alliance.

September 15th 2007: - The film is scheduled to play The Morris Memorial in Chatham New York on October 21 at Film Columbia. The director will be present.

September 4th 2007: We have just learned that FILM COLUMBIA will be presenting the film some time between October 18 and 21. The festival is located in Chatham New York, home to lead actress Ilona Garcen. Details to follow.

July 1st, 2007: BIG NEWS! Besides being selected as closing night film, we have just won the top prize for "Best Fiction Feature" at The Philadelphia International Film Festival which took place June 25th to June 30th. This is the second time the director has won an award at this festival. In 1991 he took 2nd prize there for best short film ("Hollyweird"). This time the award statuette is made of real marble and metal!

All news...

The crew lights things up on location.

trailer Apple QuickTime Format (Low-resolution 5Mb)
Apple QuickTime Format(High resolution 29Mb)

MPEG Format (High resolution 46Mb)

Story

A year after his mother passes away, James Duke contemplates doing the one thing she had always forbidden him to do; contact her parents. With temptation too great, the young man visits his grandparents and discovers that although friendly, they are very nervous about his surprise visit. Deciding to stay on for a few days at their eerie run down secluded farmhouse, he gradually uncovers an unspeakably shameful part of his family history that his mother had never revealed. Carefully watched by menacing townspeople, he digs dangerously deep to uncover clues to his disturbing past; old gramophone recordings, disturbing b&w photos, animal (human?) remains and a very unusual patchwork quilt made by tortured hands. Ultimately, he confronts both conspiracy and the heavy burden of truth through his discovery of ghosts from the past.

Genre: Drama
Sub Genre: Mystery/ghost story
Production Gauge: 35mm color
Equipment suppliers: W.F. WHITE's (Toronto & Ottawa) and CINEPOOL (Montreal)
Post-Production: GLOBAL VISION and the N.F.B.
Finishing Gauge: 35mm color
Running Time: 95 minutes

About

This mystery-ghost story was inspired by little-known but fascinating historical events involving the hidden burial of imported farm workers in a small border town just north of the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries. This modern day tale of “historical vengeance” will entertain a broad audience as well as inform about an important part of our heritage. In a world of overly familiar films, THE DESCENDANT achieves surprising originality with its shocker ending.

Principal Cast

Tadhg McMahon..........................JAMES DUKE.
Jim Reid..................................MAURICE DUKE.
Ilona Garcen...............................LINDA DUKE.
Rose Ryan...........................................LOUISE.
Brewster Griffin.................................VICTOR.
Tessa Hamilton.......................................KIM.
Rob Di Loreto.........................................PAUL.
Phil Harrison............................HENCHMAN #1.
Christopher Piggins.................HENCHMAN #2.
Zeny Domond...............................FARM HAND.

Production Team

Executive Producer: PHILIPPE CHABOT
Co-producer: DAVID RIGBY
Producer/Director: PHILIPPE SPURRELL
Written by : PHILIPPE SPURRELL & JOEL MILLER
Cinematography: LORENZO NEGRI & IVAN GEKOFF (CSC)
Editor: ERIC LAVOIE
Music: DAVID KRISTIAN
Sound design: DAN LAGACE
Make-up FX: CJ GOLDMAN, (DAWN OF THE DEAD, DAY AFTER TOMORROW, LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN)
Special Participation: SERGIO MACHADO

Contact

Philippe Spurrell
p.spurrell@hotmail.com