CENTER DIVIDE

US 2021, 136 min Director Rob Nilsson

A longtime favorite of MVFF, Bay Area auteur Rob Nilsson returns with a mind-expanding exploration of life on society’s rough edges. The second film in Nilsson’s Nomad Trilogy (after Arid Cut, MVFF 2019), Center Divide delves deep into the everyday realities of several complex characters as they retreat from the West Coast. Rail and Mitra are a young couple flying down the road on a stolen motorcycle, searching for a connection to the past as they plot an unknown future. Along the way they encounter like-minded travelers; people in the trenches who struggle against a cold, corporate existence. This surprising road-trip flick is hypnotic and harrowing at once, complete with joyful dancing and penetrating exchanges. Nilsson delivers breathtaking images of contemporary America in all its natural splendor and manmade misfortune. Totally improvised by a group of magnetic actors, the film takes us inside captivating personal experiences while seeking to reveal truths about a world turned upside down. –Brendan Peterson

WORLD PREMIERE

We will be joined in person by director/cinematographer Rob Nilsson and producer/cinematographer Zhan Petrov for an onstage conversation.