FOGBOUND

Year: 2002
UK: Blue Dolphin
Cast: Luke Perry, Ben Daniels, Orla Brady, Jeroen Krabbe, Stephanie Leonidas, Elliott Jordan, Daniella Isaacs, Mike Walther, Ali Hames, Meg Kubota, John Cater, Stephen Critchlow, Mea de Jong, Kevin Moore, Morris Perry, Stella Tanner
Director: Ate De Jong
Countries: Netherlands / UK
UK: 97 mins
UK Certificate: 18 contains strong sex and rape references
UK Release Date: 4 April 2003

Synopsis

FOGBOUND is a compelling psycho-sexual drama about three people - married couple Leo (Ben Daniels) and Ann (Orla Brady), and their best friend Bob (Luke Perry), who travel in a mini van through the mountains.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, a dense fog creeps up the mountainside from below, covering everything in its path until it reaches the road and envelops the van. All they see outside their windows is the fog, as though they were in the heart of a deep, white cloud.

To continue to drive would be suicidal. The friends stop, and wait for it to dissipate. At first, they try to make the best of a difficult situation. The trio are all thirty-something's who appear to get along very well. To pass the time they tease each other a little and play practical jokes on each other.

But as the wait drags on, their sense of time begins to slip away. Their conversation turns serious, as Leo confesses to his wife and friend how he believes he once lived in 18th century France, where he raised two children, a boy and a girl. He admits that he mistreated the boy in the most gruesome way; making him sleep with the animals, even denying him a name. Meanwhile the girl received all the luxury the 18th century had to offer, not to mention all of his love and attention.

Ann listens warily at first, and then begins to suspect that Leo has an ulterior motive for his strange confession. She begins to interrupt his story, to present her version of what she believes Leo is really saying. He is bothered by this and disagrees with her, strenuously. She insists on her point of view ever more vehemently. Bob finds himself caught in the middle of a heated marital dispute between his two best friends.

As the night and the fog grow ever darker, and the isolation of the three friends intensifies, the situation grows dangerously volatile.

FOGBOUND was nominated for Best Film and Best European Film at the Hollywood Film Festival in October 2002. This deeply personal and original feature film directed by de Jong has been compared to Roman Polanski's KNIFE IN THE WATER.