The Damned

In the winter of 1862, during the American Civil War, a group of volunteer soldiers explore unchartered territory in the western part of the country. Far from the front, their task consists mainly of waiting: for directions, for other troops or for an attack. As these men of all backgrounds set up camp, play baseball and cards, they muse about God, life and the point of their mission. When the enemy finally strikes, Montana’s wild nature proves at least as deadly as its fellow men.

The Damned is a powerful drama about faith, hope and meaning at the time of a major turning point in American history. Unlike many war films, director Roberto Minervini depicts his story not as a heroic epic with a clear line between good and evil, but shows a philosophical, intimate and extremely human portrait of an inhuman event.

Shot in the overwhelming landscape of Montana with an ensemble of non-professional actors, Minervini managed to stir the jury at Cannes: his historical and also painfully relevant film earned him the prize for Best Director in the Un Certain Regard competition.