Drafthouse Picks Up Ukrainian Cannes Favourite ‘The Tribe’: Watch The Trailer

Drafthouse (THE ACT OF KILLING) has picked up Cannes Critics’ Week winner THE TRIBE for US distribution.

This Ukrainian feature is one with a difference however. The story unfolds completely in sign language – without subtitles or voice over. We’re told in the trailer that “love or hatred needs no translation“.

THE TRIBE is the debut of Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy and it’s set in an Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf. But it’s not about the usual school rivalries – the film tackles the gritty topic of crime and prostitution.

With a muted palette of greys and blues, it looks hard hitting, perhaps reminiscent of previous Cannes Grand Prix winner GOMORRAH, which also explored the effects of crime on teenagers (as well as the wider community) in and around Naples. Be warned – the trailer’s NSFW due to nudity.

Like Larry Clark’s controversial KIDS and Fernando Meirelles’s fantastic crime drama CITY OF GOD, set in the streets of Rio, Slaboshpytskiy uses a cast of non-professional actors. No release date yet, but it’ll be shown in selected US cinemas and be available on DVD, Blue-ray and VOD platforms.

Source: Drafthouse