It would be difficult to find a more inhospitable place to live than the small American town of Darwin. Situated in the arid landscape of Death Valley, it is home to 35 people, among them Monty, a remarkable artist with a violent past; talented pianist Dell; a bearded anarchist named Robin; and young Ryal, who is transitioning from female to male. In this town once famous for silver mining there is no store, no government, no church, and the only locally employed inhabitant is a former hippie named Susan, now the postmaster. Now only shadows of the locals’ dark histories occasionally disturb the absolute calm of the scorched region. With a bewitching atmosphere intensified by Michael Brook’s unsettling score, Swiss director Nick Brandestini’s documentary deservedly won awards at the Big Sky, Sonoma and DocAviv film festivals. –Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
