''Hunger'' is a 2001 film written and directed by Maria Giese, based upon the 1890 novel of the same title by

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

author

Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to consciousness, subject, Point of view ...

. Shot in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

on a shoestring budget, it features

Joseph Culp Joseph Culp (born January 9, 1963) is an American actor and director. He is the son of actor Robert Culp and his second wife Nancy Ashe. He received his acting training at HB Studio in New York City. Early life Joseph Culp was born on January 9, ...

as well as his father

Robert Culp Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American actor widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on ''I Spy'' (1965–1968), the espionage television se ...

in a supporting role. The score was composed by Kazimir Boyle and Trevor Morris, who went on to compose music for ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

'' and ''

Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and ...

Premise

A sensitive writer from a small town faces

spiritual crisis Spiritual crisis (also called "spiritual emergency") is a form of identity crisis where an individual experiences drastic changes to their meaning system (i.e., their unique purposes, goals, values, attitude and beliefs, identity, and focus) typi ...

as he tries to make it as a Hollywood screenwriter. Charlie Pontus wanders around

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

torn between his efforts to sell a screenplay and find his next meal. His natural optimism keeps him afloat as he walks the

tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

between his love for the beautiful, exotic Ylayali and his desperate connection to The Chief, the Hollywood producer who has the power to give life or take it away. Stubbornly refusing to relinquish his principles, he sinks deeper and deeper into spiritual crisis, finally confronting God in a Jobian

showdown A showdown is a duel. The term may also refer to: Places * Showdown Ski Area, in Montana, United States Books * ''Showdown'' (Amado novel), a 1984 novel by Jorge Amado * ''Showdown'' (Dekker novel), a 2006 novel by Ted Dekker * ''Showdown'' ( ...

. Ultimately, the story illustrates the difficult balance between artistic integrity and the commercial necessities of Hollywood.

Cast

as Charlie Pontus *

as The Chief *

Kathleen Luong Kathleen Luong (November 13, 1974 – October 28, 2020) was a Vietnamese American actress and model. She is usually credited as Katie Luong. Luong was born in Saigon, South Vietnam. In 1979 her family left Vietnam, and sailed to Malaysia. They i ...

as Ylayali * Daniel Franklin as "Eclair" * Casper Andreas as "Scissors" * James Quill as "The Duke" *

Bruce Solomon Bruce Peter Solomon is an American film and television actor, best known for the roles of Sgt. Foley in the TV show ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' and Kenny Zuckerman in ''Beverly Hills, 90210''. Television and film Solomon starred as the tit ...

as Mr. Christie * Frank Bruynbroek as Spy Man #1 * Jason Berlin as Spy Man #2 * Susan Rich as Sexy Woman * Nicole Ozment as Hostess

References

External links

* * 2001 films 2001 drama films Films based on works by Knut Hamsun Films based on Norwegian novels American drama films 2000s American films {{2000s-drama-film-stub