About the film

Laced with black humor, “The Patron Saints” is an unorthodox documentary about a home for the aged and disabled. By turns lyrical and unsettling, the directors eschew more traditional approaches to the subject, opting for a mesmerizing atmospheric treatment and turning narration over to the home’s youngest patient and his candid confessions. “The Patron Saints” will undoubtedly call to mind the work of documentary great Allan King, though the approach here is vastly different. A near-tableau style imbues the film with a sense of stillness, with movement reserved for the bustling staff or the planes and trucks that pass by the isolated home. Just as the patients struggle to comprehend their lives, the documentary is filled with images that create indelible impressions and ask us to make sense of the sometimes incongruous. With masterfully constructed tone and atmosphere, this is a heightened and rewarding cinematic experience.

Wybrane nagrody i festiwale /Selected festivals and awards: 2011 - MFF Toronto/ Toronto IFF