d. Grant McPhee; w. Ben Soper; p. Grant McPhee, Olivia
Gifford, Steven Moore; cast: Sorcha Groundsell, Victoria Liddelle, Lynsey-Anne
Moffat, Adrienne-Marie Zitt, Margaret Fraser
McPhee’s third trippy feature confirms him as one of the
most interesting film-makers in Britain today. It feels more accessible than
Sarah’s Room or Night Kaleidoscope, which may be the director maturing and/or
new scripter Soper. When art student Judith is taken on as protégé/archivist by
successful artist Roberta, she finds images of Roberta’s daughter Maddie among
the photos, videos and film. Roberta seems to be moulding Judith into her daughter’s
image; as her resistance breaks down so does her identity. A film about art,
artifice and artificiality, Far from the Apple Tree has a briefly overt but
deliberately unexplored subtext of witchcraft and occult conspiracy. McPhee and
DP Simon Vickery crafted the film from a wide range of film and video formats which
reinforce the disoriented viewer’s empathy with Judith/Maddie while constantly
reminding us (not least through constantly shifting aspect ratios!) that what we
are watching is also both artificial and art. Shot in March 2017, it premiered
in Manchester two years later. Score by Rose McDowall from Strawberry
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