PRODUCTION STATEMENT

Drawing inspiration from David Lynch and David Cronenberg, as well as "The Twilight Zone" and "Black Mirror," writer/photographer Alexandre Nahon set out to make his distinctive directorial debut. Born in Paris (France), Nahon had always dreamed of creating a film noir for the modern age and there began the seeds of "Burning Shadow." He was able to pull together a tremendous group of creatives to help bring his vision to life. Academy Award® nominee Julie Delpy (with whom Nahon co-wrote "2 Days in New York") came on early for a supporting role, followed soon by French actress Roxane Mesquida ("Kaboom") and legenday character actors Roger Guenveur Smith ("American Gangster") and Richard Edson ("Do the Right Thing"). The lush, neon cinematography is by Kit Pennebaker, son of late documentary pioneer D.A. Pennebaker. Editor Vincent Tabaillon ("The Incredible Hulk," "Now You See Me") took on the task of finding the balance between empathy and confusion surrounding the main character of Charlie. Clive Barker's go-to production designer Steve Hardie built the seedy world, applying just the slightest tinge of the supernatural. Scratch Massive's Sebastien Chenut provides the dark, electro-tinged score, while Oscar® nominee Theo Green ("Blade Runner 2049") consulted on the sound design.

SYNOPSIS

Charlie (Matthew Dennis Lewis, Netflix’s Emmy®-winning series “Godless”) is a young loner who works at a diner for a mirthless boss (Academy Award® nominee Julie Delpy, “Before Midnight”), struggling to even pay his rent. Seemingly his only friend is regular customer Mr. Jones (Roger Guenveur Smith, "American Gangster"), an affable businessman with ties to the mob. Jones also runs a nightclub, which Charlie visits and soon begins his obsession with one of the dancers, Summer.

One evening, after an odd exchange with a bartender who says luck is coming his way, Charlie crosses paths with a blind homeless man who is his exact double, a doppelganger. Perplexed and intrigued by the discovery, Charlie invites the man into his life. What follows is a haunting decent into desperation, fear, infatuation and greed, told through the lens of classic film noir, with a celestial twist.

DIRECTOR

“Burning Shadow” is the feature directorial debut of French filmmaker Alexandre Nahon. Nahon co-wrote “2 Days in New York” starring Chris Rock and Julie Delpy, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He is also a reknowned photographer, having shot campaigns for Macy’s and music videos for such artists as Lykke Li and Adan Jodorowsky.