Denver Film Festival 2015 Must-See for November 5: Rams

Again this year, Denver Film Festival artistic director Brit Withey is offering his must-see picks for each day of the fest — including many flicks that movie lovers might otherwise miss amid the flood of silver-screen goodies. Today, he spotlights his pick for Thursday, November 5: Rams. Rams Directed by Grímur Hákonarson...

By Michael Roberts

November 5, 2015

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Again this year, Denver Film Festival artistic director Brit Withey is offering his must-see picks for each day of the fest — including many flicks that movie lovers might otherwise miss amid the flood of silver-screen goodies. Today, he spotlights his pick for Thursday, November 5: Rams.

Rams
Directed by Grímur Hákonarson
7 p.m. Thursday, November 5
4:15 p.m. Friday, November 6
Sie FilmCenter

"Rams is an Icelandic film," notes fest artistic director Brit Withey, "and on the surface, it's a pretty simple story. It's set in a small farming community in Iceland where everybody raises prize rams and lambs. But then all of the animals in the valley are stricken with a disease and they have to cull them. And that divides the community.

"At the heart of the film is the division between two brothers, who have the best animals in the valley," he continues. "They haven't spoken to each other in thirty years, and the story is about them having to come back together in the face of adversity — to face this problem and decide if they're going to work together." The reason the brothers are at odds "is referenced only briefly: Their father wanted one of them to take over the family farm as opposed to the other. It's as simple as that. One of them had expectations and the other one got the farm. They still live right next to each other — fifty feet from each other. But they don't speak until this situation comes up. And the way they deal with is fascinating. It's a really lovely film."

Look below to see the trailer for Ram. To access all the film festival's selections and purchase tickets, click here.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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