THE PARAGON by Michael Duignan
The Paragon is the story of DUTCH, a crippled and angry ex-tennis coach whose life has fallen apart since he was the victim of a hit-and-run a year ago. In a bid to find the driver and take revenge, Dutch embarks on a strange psychic training course designed to unlock his latent mind powers. Under the strict tutelage of a witchy disciplinarian named LYRA, Dutch reluctantly begins to expand his consciousness. But soon he learns that Lyra actually has a hidden agenda: she needs Dutch’s help to find a mysterious crystal known as THE PARAGON before her evil brother HAXAN and his mind slaves can control it. The two unlikely partners strike a deal; they will use their psychic ability to find what each other is looking for. But by the time Dutch comes face-to-face with the driver who hit him, he starts to see things from a different perspective. When the Paragon falls into the hands of Haxan, Dutch must decide between being a victim of his fate or a slave to cosmic evil.
With Jonny Brugh (a.o. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER) as the villain.
"a surreal, faux 80s ode to the likes of John Carpenter and Terry Gilliam" - Jonny Mahon-Heap STUFF
"THE PARAGON is the perfect Midnight Movie... Go after this inconspicuous pearl and remember that revenge is a truly cosmic experience." - Marcin Prymas PELNA SALA
“Comedy About A Psychic Loser Is A Winner”
“a quirky comedy with a big heart, some deliciously shoddy B-film action and some broad strokes drama. What makes The Paragon stand out, is that it delivers on all those fronts.” - Theodoor Steen SCREEN ANARCHY
"it fits perfectly into the Zeitgeist of contemporary genre cinema, establishing itself as a nostalgic celebration of psychedelic science fiction from the 70s and 80s, tinged with a sort of reflexivity reverent, with, of course, a banging electro soundtrack!"
"delicious New Zealand humor" - Olivier Thibodeau PANORAMA CINEMA
New Zealand IFF, IFF Rotterdam (Bright Future)
Cast
Benedict Wall - Dutch
Florence Noble - Lyra
Jessica Grace Smith - Emily
Michelle Ang - Beth
Shadon Meredith - Oates
Jonny Brugh - Haxan (a.o. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER)
Cameron Rhodes - Enoch
Chloe White - Vinnie
Lucky Lee Morton - Lucky
Crew
Director, Writer, Cinematorgrapher: Michael Duignan / Costume Designer: Lissy Turner / Production Designer: Gavin Walker / M/U Designer / MU FX: Levonne Scott / Camera Assist: Finn McGowan / LX / Gaffer: Yusei Tada / Sound Recordist: Flynn Harris / Boom Op: Adam Curlewis / Additional Sound: Shamir Rodriguez, Ash Bartley, David Peterson / Executive Producers: Benedict Wall, Jessica Grace-Smith, Francis McEntee, Michael Sweet, Helen Duignan, Josh Blackmore, Paul Newfield, Michael Lonsdale, Hugh Calvely, Thomas Appleton
Technical Information
Original Title: THE PARAGON / shot digital / available for screenings in DCP 25fps / color / 1:2,35 / 5.1 Surround / 83 min / original language English with English subtitles / The Invisible College Ltd, New Zealand 2023
