RUIN

"A gritty and dazzling lovers-on-the-run tale ... an off-the-beaten-track journey of artistic and poetic vision." – CineVue

Winning the Special Jury Prize in Venice, Ruin tells the story of Sovanna and Phirun, a prostitute and a factory worker, as they flee Phnom Penh's violent clutches for the safety of Cambodia's jungles. Freeing themselves from the shackles of their urban nightmare, they become agents of love and vengeance, ready to strike back at those who would see them undone.

Breathtakingly shot using extensive improvisation to enrich and embroider the minimalist, fable-like script, Ruin is the hypnotic new collaboration between co-directors Amiel Courtin-Wilson and Michael Cody. With shades of Malick's Badlands, Ruin takes you into a nation of stunning beauty and unheeding cruelty, where love is the only thing that might keep you alive.

"Elliptical, full of sumptuous images that can be read as dreams or symbols more easily than as a real-world narrative, backed with a dense electronic score." – Sydney Morning Herald

Co-director Michael Cody is a festival guest.