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“A must-see.”

Time Out New York


“Sachs's stunner is a front-runner for best American film of the year.”

— Eric Hynes,


“…ingenious and convincing…it allows the characters to move in surprising directions, upending our expectations and their own sense of who they are…”

— A.O. Scott,


“…quietly gifted indie director Ira Sachs (Forty Shades of Blue) has made an autobiographical movie so candid and searing it redefines him as an artist.”

— Owen Gleiberman,


“An Instant landmark in gay cinema, and easily the finest dramatic film I saw at Sundance this year.”

— Andrew O'Hehir, Salon


“Haunting…Not unlike last year's gay-themed drama, Weekend, it proves an important and mature piece of business.”

— Gary Goldstein,


“[This] visually alluring film’s sensuality and tenderness give it a lingering spell.”

— David Rooney,


“An incredibly personal work…deeply affecting.”

— Eric Kohn,


“Thure Lindhart’s performance feels like a revelation…a brutal and unflinching journey through a relationship that is irrevocably shaken by drugs.…this is the kind of intelligent and powerful drama that’s a harbinger for the autumn movie season, and it raises the bar for the other grown-up movies soon to follow in its wake.”

— Alonso Duralde,


“Beautiful and devasting.”

Filmmaker Magazine


Keep the Lights On
2012 | USA | 101 min
ABOUT THE FILM

LONG SYNOPSIS

KEEP THE LIGHTS ON chronicles the emotionally and sexually charged journey through the love, addiction, and friendship of two men. Documentary filmmaker Erik and closeted lawyer Paul meet through a casual encounter, but they find a deeper connection and become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk takers—compulsive, and fueled by drugs and sex. In an almost decade-long relationship defined by highs, lows, and dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries and dignity and to be true to himself.

KEEP THE LIGHTS ON is shot with a grainy beauty that transports us to its late ’90s setting. It resonates with textures of New York City, accentuated by disco beats and a mournful cello, both from musician Arthur Russell’s eclectic catalog. Director Ira Sachs’s fearlessly personal screenplay is anchored by Danish actor Thure Lindhardt, who embodies Erik’s isolation and vulnerability with a gentle presence. Harrowing and romantic, visceral and intellectual, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON is a moving film that looks at love and all of its manifestations, taking it to dark depths and bringing it back to a place of grace.

—Sundance Film Festival


Director Ira Sachs
Writers Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias
Producers Marie Therese Guirgis, Lucas Joaquin, Ira Sachs
Executive Producers Ali Betil, Jawal Nga, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen
Editor Affonso Gonçalves
Cinematographer Thimios Bakatakis
Production Designer Amy Williams
Costume Designer Elisabeth Vastola
Cast Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souléymane Sy Savané, Paprika Steen

FESTIVALS
2012 Sundance Film Festival, Berlinale 62 (Panorama) (Winner – Teddy Award, Best Feature Film), 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, 2012 Seattle International Film Festival, Frameline36, Outfest 2012 (Jury Prize, Best Feature; Jury Prize, Best Screenwriting)

FESTIVAL TERRITORIES
North America

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, HDCAM, Blu-Ray


PRESS KIT

press kit coming soon


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WEBSITE

http://www.keepthelightsonfilm.com