“Dirty God” to Premiere at Sundance 2019

Thu, Jan 24 - Sat, Feb 2  2019

“Dirty God,” the latest feature by Dutch film director Sacha Polak, will celebrate its international premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, taking place January 24th until the 3rd of February. It is the first time a feature film from the Netherlands is selected for the prestigious World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

© Viking Film/EMU Film

“Dirty God” is Sacha Polak’s third feature, after the critically acclaimed and prize-winning “Hemel“ and “Zurich,” and is her first English language film. Polak co-wrote the script with Susanne Farrell. The film is produced by Marleen Slot of Amsterdam-based Viking Film. “Dirty God” is an international co-production with EMU Films (UK), A Private View (BE) and Savage Productions (IE). The film is supported by, among others, the Netherlands Film Fund, the Netherlands Production Incentive, British Film Institute and BBC Films. Independent Film is handling sales.

Sacha Polak’s previous feature films “Hemel” and “Zurich” both world-premiered in Berlinale Forum and won multiple awards. “Hemel” received, among other prizes, the FIPRESCI Award at Berlin while “Zurich” won CICAE Art Cinema Award for Best Film.

© Viking Film/EMU Film

“Dirty God” tells the story of Jade (Vicky Knight), a young mother who is in the prime of her life when an acid attack leaves her severely burned. While her face has been reconstructed, her beauty is lost beneath the scars. Distanced from her daughter, Jade finds solace in the hidden world of online liaisons where she uncovers the passion and connection she’s craved. But when her life is turned upside down once more, those around can do little to halt her descent. As her family life and friendships start to crumble, Jade takes drastic action, finally finding the path back to her daughter and herself. “Dirty God” is a powerful film about motherhood, courage and self-acceptance set in present-day London.

“’Dirty God’ is a film about a young mother who lost herself in a terrible accident, but who eventually in the search of her identity learns to accept herself. An incredibly strong woman. What sticks in my mind is that all the women I’ve met who have been burned were forced to find a way to come to terms with their new appearance. Whichever path they chose and however they did or did not manage, it was their path. What is universal about it, is that for each and every one of us it is challenging to be confronted with feelings of external beauty versus internal dignity. A challenge for every woman in the world.” – Sacha Polak

The 2019 Sundance Film Festival takes place from 24 January – 3 February.