| Slam | |
|---|---|
 Australian release poster | |
| Directed by | Partho Sen-Gupta |
| Written by | Partho Sen-Gupta |
| Produced by | Michael Wrenn Marc Irmer Tenille Kennedy |
| Starring | Adam Bakri Rachael Blake Rebecca Breeds Darina Al Joundi Danielle Horvat |
| Cinematography | Bonnie Elliott |
| Edited by | Annick Raoul |
| Music by | Eryck Abecassis |
Release date |
|
Running time | 116 minutes |
| Countries | Australia, France |
| Language | English |
Slam is a 2018 Australian drama film written and directed byPartho Sen-Gupta.
Ricky Nasser is a young Australian whose peaceful suburban life turns into hell when sister Ameena, aslam poet, disappears without a trace.
Director Partho Sen-Gupta was inspired to writeSlam after his partner, Alana Lentin, suggested that she join him at a slam poetry event inWestern Sydney, during a break from filming his 2014 filmSunrise. At the time, Prime MinisterTony Abbott was voicing criticism about Muslim women and thehijab, and there was some hostility towards Muslims in the community. However, Sen-Gupta said that it was " not a social commentary film. It's likeSunrise, a more stylistic piece".[1]
The film is an official Australian-French co-production with funding fromScreen Australia,Screenwest,Screen NSW, the FrenchNational Center of Cinematography and the moving image, Creative Media Solutions and private funders. The main roles are played byAdam Bakri andRachael Blake.[2] It was an official selected project at the 2016International Film Festival Rotterdam's CineMart[3] and the 2016Berlinale Co-production Market.[4]
The film is set in modern-daySydney, Australia, and was shot on location in itswestern suburbs.[5]
Slam had itsworld premiere at the Official Selection Competition at theTallinn Black Nights Film Festival on 27 November 2018.[6][7]
On 15 June 2019, the film had its Australian premiere at theSydney Film Festival in the Special Presentations section at theState Theatre.[8][9] It went on to screen at manyfilm festivals, notably at theMelbourne International Film Festival,[10] and was the opening film at the 2019Darwin International Film Festival.[11]
British film critic Victor Fraga of DMovies called it "the film of the year" in his review of the premiere screening at the 2018Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.[12]
After the Australian premiere at the 2019Sydney Film Festival, academic researcher Ingrid Matthews reviewed the film for the Australian Critical Race & Whiteness Studies (ACRAWSA) blog, writing, "Slam is a devastating film. Devastatingly good, devastatingly sad, and devastatingly accurate in its portrayal of racism in Australia. The camera turns its gaze on two institutions in particular: the media; and law enforcement."[13]
The film had a limited theatrical release in Australia on 17 October 2019[14] and received many positive reviews. Respected film criticDavid Stratton wrote inThe Australian, "Slam is very impressive: it tells an important story in a convincing and enthralling way".[15] and gave the film 4/5 stars in his video review "David Stratton Recommends".[16]Sandra Hall also gave it 4/5 stars in her review inThe Sydney Morning Herald[17] andThe Age,[18] writing "[Director Partho Sen-Gupta]'s a confident talent with a finely tuned instinct for the mechanics of plot and character. There's a lot going on in this film and although the conclusion it reaches is pretty predictable, the trajectory it takes is not."
Jim Schembri, journalist, critic, and author, gave the film 3 1/2 Stars on3AW and said "Without descending into hysterics writer/director Partho Sen-Gupta does a fine job detailing how promptly fear and suspicion can be coaxed used to promote an official agenda. It's a strong-minded, subdued film that bravely confronts the politics of grief."[19] Richard Kuipers, inVariety, called it "an outstanding slow-burn thriller".[20] Christine Westwood wrote inFilmink "For all its tough subject matter,Slam is a gripping, entertaining mystery. You can’t turn away from it until the very end."[21]
Guardian Australia film critic Luke Buckmaster named the film as one of "The best Australian films of 2019", and wrote "Sen-Gupta doesn’t turn a blind eye to grim reality, nor does he prioritise verisimilitude over dramatically interesting storytelling."[22]