Things are pretty grim in the trailer for “Salvation”: A priest flagellates himself and struggles to comfort people in crisis. A young man runs from some unknown danger. Set to a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” the atmospheric, dialogue-free clip suggests that all of the film’s main characters are in desperate need of help.
“Salvation” marks writer-director Carmen Sangion’s debut feature as well as the first feature from SangSang Entertainment, the company she created with her sister, Kim Sangion.
Set in Johannesburg, “Salvation” traces the interweaving stories of fugitive Ezra (Jason Willemse), lonely stripper Roxy (Kira Wilkinson), and demoralized priest Father Benjamin (Clayton Evertson), three souls seeking “answers, acceptance, and faith,” according to the film’s synopsis. “Charged to revive a struggling church in a depressed inner city community, Father Benjamin is forced to learn about forgiveness. Ezra’s escape from his small town leads him to embark on a journey of self-discovery, while Roxy finally confronts a past she buried deep in the recesses of her mind. When their paths cross, they form an unlikely bond that forces them to venture out of their comfort zones and find freedom and salvation in truth and forgiveness.”
“Salvation” will make its world premiere at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival in October, and is also set to screen at the LA Femme Film Festival. The film opens in South Africa October 25.
