Film School Radio hosted by Mike Kaspar

Stinking Heaven, Director Nathan Silver

Stinking Heaven film poster I

Nathan Silver’s Stinking Heaven is the story of married couple Jim and Lucy) running a commune in the early 90’s for sober living out of their suburban New Jersey home. The motley members eat, bathe and work together selling homemade “health tea” out of their van. Although there’s constant bickering and plenty of fires to be put out, Jim and Lucy have managed to establish a haven for these outcasts. But the harmony is interrupted when Ann (Hannah Gross), a recovering addict and the ex-lover of one housemate, arrives. Ann’s insidious presence sends the members spiraling out of control, resulting in paranoia, drug relapse and eventually death. Director Silver has written and directed four short films and five feature films: THE BLIND (2009), EXIT ELENA (2012), SOFT IN THE HEAD (2013), UNCERTAIN TERMS (2014), and STINKING HEAVEN (2015). His films have played in festivals around the world, including Viennale, Vancouver, Melbourne, Slamdance, Sarasota, Torino, Munich, and venues including MoMA and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Filmmaker Magazine named Silver “one of the most interesting emerging directors in U.S. indie film.” Director and writer Nathan Silver stops by for a conversation his emotionally wrenching gem of cinema-verite.

For news and updates on Stinking Heaven go to: stinkingheaven.com

Stinking Heaven screens at the Areana Theatre beginning Friday December 18th go to: arenascreen.com/

“Compelling. Furiously combative.”
- Guy Lodge, Variety

“[Silver’s] densely textured images have many planes of action, which he parses with pans and zooms, revealing the volatile bonds of a group on the verge of combustion as well as the howling horrors of unremitting solitude.” – Richard, New Yorker

“In the feat of any great storyteller, especially one who thinks outside of the rules, Silver maneuvers his story and characters to emotional climaxes with profound authenticity.” – Nick Allen, Rogerebert.com

“Brimming with a putrid effervescence and an ensemble cast willing to dig deep into the filth of life, ‘Stinking Heaven’ further confirms Silver’s talent as a great conductor of chaos.”
- Ben Umstead, Twitch Film