Shoals

Movie Information

Shoals and the short companion film Waking Things will be shown at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, at the Fine Arts Theatre. Bass will be present at the screening.
Score:

Genre: Experimental "Prairie Gothic"
Director: Melika Bass
Starring: Emily Irvine, Chris Sullivan, Carolina Gonzalez, Kayla Wroblewski
Rated: NR

Former Asheville resident—and now Chicago-based filmmaker—Melika Bass returns to town for the local premiere of her feature film Shoals. She describes the film as a “prairie grotesque” and that, I think, is as good a description as any for this strange and strangely compelling—almost mesmerizing—work. The film runs a mere 52 minutes (which is, in part, is why it will be companioned with one of her earlier short films) and had been described to me as somewhat similar to Terrence Malick, which isn’t precisely true. It’s more like Malick meets David Lynch, if you want a comparison, but in a deeper sense, Shoals is pretty much its own beast. And it is one very peculiar beast. To the degree that it has a story—and story is not its strongest aspect—it follows three women at the Osterider School for Girls, who cut wildflowers and compound them with water (or some undefined liquid), which appears to be intended as part of a treatment they’re undergoing under the guidance of their cultish leader. Or maybe the process itself is the treatment. Shot on 16mm and suffused with glowing natural light, the film’s strength comes from its look, its feel and the sense that it’s a weirdly impenetrable myth. Your feelings will be defined by your tolerance for nontraditional narrative (or experimental) filmmaking.

SHARE
About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.