Primer + Upstream Colour - Two Films By Shane Carruth (UK-import)
Double bill of sci-fi thrillers from director Shane Carruth. 'Primer' (2004) follows Abe (David Sullivan) and Aaron (Shane Carruth), two young engineers who work in an anonymous city for a large corporation and who, in their spare time, conduct their own scientific experiments in their garage. While working on a device that will block the gravitational pull of an object and so reduce its apparent mass, the two scientists discover an extraordinary side-effect that allows them to manipulate time. Immediately taking advantage of this opportunity, they are soon having to deal with its consequences and its effect on their strained working relationship. 'Upstream Colour' (2013) looks at the story of a man and woman who are drawn to one another. When Kris (Amy Seimetz), a graphics designer, is unfortunate enough to find herself the subject of the attentions of a thief (Thiago Martins) who employs somewhat unusual methods, her life rapidly goes downhill. In order to get her to transfer her savings to him, the thief implants a parasitic organism into Kris then leaves her to the equally unfavourable attentions of a pig farmer, who transfuses the parasite from Kris into a pig, creating a subliminal connection between the woman and animal. Kris awakens from the traumatic experience with little recollection of what has happened but is fortunate to meet Jeff (Carruth), who has been the victim of the same process. Will the pair be able to work together to discover what has happened to them?