Films
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Trailer
Synopsis
THE MIDDLE MAN is a darkly humorous social satire which takes place in a small town that is experiencing an epidemic of accidents and deaths. The town is run by “The Commission” - the Sheriff, the Doctor and the Pastor - who decide to hire a ‘Middle Man’ whose sole responsibility will be to inform the family when an unfortunate incident occurs. Frank Farrelli is a quiet, thoughtful man who proves perfect for the job. He takes his new role on with gusto and quickly becomes the town’s beacon of bad news. But the pressures of the job and a budding new romance overwhelm Frank. To ease his burden, he calls in a ‘favour’ that ends up in a horrifying yet oddly amusing murder.
- Screenplay:
- Bent Hamer
- Cinematography:
- John Christian Roselund
- Sound:
- Steven Munro, Rob Fletcher
- Edit:
- Anders Refn
- Music:
- Jonathan Goldsmith
- Cast:
- Pål Sverre Hagen, Tuva Novotny, Nina Andresen Borud, Gross Paul, Don McKellar
- Production Company:
- BulBul Film, The Film Farm, Pandora Film, Profile Pictures, Bord Cadre films, Sovereign Films
Gallery
Director's statement
When I made "The Middle Man", I wanted to explore melancholy through deadpan humor. Set in a small American town where a man is hired to deliver bad news, the film examines how grief becomes institutionalized and routine. I was interested in emotional distance—the quiet absurdity of assigning someone to mediate tragedy. The restrained performances and wintry landscapes reflect a world suspended between sorrow and detachment. **The film ultimately suggests** that even in the most bureaucratic handling of loss, vulnerability seeps through, reminding us that human connection persists beneath formality and silence.