''The Deep and Dreamless Sleep'' is a 2006 American independent feature film adaptation of Dante Alighieri's 14th century poem '' Divine Comedy'', set on the streets of downtown Manhattan, written and directed by Matthew Harrison. A reviewer for Variety described the film as presenting “kinetic visuals, naturalistic perfs and a frequently compelling take on a 700-year-old poem.” Matthew Harrison's fourth feature film, originated on

16mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, educ ...

, S8mm and DV, premiered worldwide at the Avignon Film Festival and also screened at the 2006 Oldenburg International Film Festival. The movie features animated segments, dramatizing back-story, photographed by artist Gina Garan using her collection of

Blythe The name Blythe ( or ) derives from Old English ''bliþe'' ("joyous, kind, cheerful, pleasant"; modern ''blithe''), and further back from Proto-Germanic ''*blithiz'' ("gentle, kind"). People * Blythe (given name), including a list of people named ...

dolls. ''The Deep and Dreamless Sleep'' is Garan's first movie. ''The Deep and Dreamless Sleep'' also features a

score Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian m ...

by the collaborative team ''Luxurious'', comprising Lee Curreri, Peter Freeman and Jeff Rona.

Plot

This film is the story of Emma, who travels to New York City in search of her runaway lover. Guided by street hustler Brady who claims to know her errant boyfriend's whereabouts, the two set off on a journey through downtown New York City's night world. When Emma locates her lost paramour Neville, the true story of their split reveals Emma is not the innocent she claims.

Cast

*Tami Reynolds as Emma *Kris Park as Brady *Ivan Martin as Neville *

John Ortiz John Ortiz (born May 23, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his antagonist role as Arturo Braga in ''Fast & Furious'' (2009) and ''Fast & Furious 6'' (2013), and Clyde in ''Jack Goes Boating'' (2010), which earned him a nomination for t ...

as Mervin *Katharine Hyde as Gwen *Neil Jain as Neil * Ed Vassallo as Everitt * Daniel Harnett as Daniel

Festivals and critical reception

''The Deep and Dreamless Sleep'' premiered worldwide at the 2006 Avignon Film Festival and also had its German premiere at the 2006 Oldenburg International Film Festival. A reviewer for Oldenburg's Mox magazin

wrote “Rapid editing and glamorous images take the film to whole new levels. This film imparts the spirit of an instant classic, which takes on a piece of world literature.”''Mox'', September, 2006 The catalog description of ''The Deep and Dreamless Sleep'' at the Oldenburg International Film Festival stated “There is much to be discovered in Harrison’s strange world, where actors recite their archaic dialogue in verse-like manner. The digital camera-work plays tricks with the light, the editing slows the action down or speeds it up, sometimes skipping whole parts. This is a radical experiment with a unique charm and poetry to it. From the ferries of the Styx (in this case the Hudson) through Hell’s Kitchen and back to the Upper West Side, this film shows us a New York of a different kind.”

References

External links

* 2006 films 2006 drama films 2006 independent films 2000s English-language films American drama films American independent films Films based on works by Dante Alighieri Films scored by Jeff Rona Films set in Manhattan 2000s American films {{indie-drama-film-stub