The Return of Joshua Marston

Writer/director Joshua Marston made a strong impression way back in 2004 with the indie film MARIA FULL OF GRACE, which made a star of its young lead Catalina Sandino Moreno, who was nominated for an Oscar and won the Silver Bear acting award that year at the Berlin Film Festival. However, as with most promising indie debut directors, the sophomore film proves rather problematic. Marston directed the Albanian-set family drama THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD, which won a Best Screenplay award at last year’s Berlin Film Festival. The film, which has been a modest hit on the international film festival circuit, was slated to be Albania’s official entry in the Foreign Language Oscar race this year. However, the preponderance of American crew and monies disqualified the film from competing for the award. The film will get a limited release via Sundance Selects in early 2012. However, Marston has jumped right into his project, an English language remake of the 2009 Italian hit THE DOUBLE HOUR. He is both writing and directing the film, which true to his international tastes, is about the romance between a Slovenian chambermaid and an ex-cop who meet at a speed dating event. Their relationship takes a dark turn, though, when the two go on a romantic getaway at the ex-cop’s former employer’s holiday home in countryside. The film does not currently have a U.S. distributor in place but should hit the festival circuit by late 2012.

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