MDFF

How Heavy This Hammer

How Heavy This Hammer

A married father of two nearing middle age, Erwin (Erwin Van Cotthem) is not quite an outcast, but as his life slowly begins to unravel we begin to understand just how far outside the social order he truly is. Erwin spends all of his free time playing fantasy games online. When not on the computer, Erwin is a barely conscious entity: virtually everything else in his life is a distraction and an annoyance (including his wife and children), and his only physical exercise is rugby, where he uses his bulk to his advantage and releases his usually sublimated aggression. A touching yet infuriating example of our society’s mysterious ability to freeze men in adolescence, Erwin is both conscious of and frustrated by his stunted existence, but is either unwilling or incapable of getting out of his rut.

Credits

Writer: Kazik Radwanski
Producer(s): Dan Montgomery, Kazik Radwanski
Cinematographer: Nikolay Michaylov
Editor: Ajla Odobasic

FESTIVALS

Toronto International Film Festival, 2015
Vancouver International Film Festival, 2015
Festival du nouveau cinéma, 2015
Calgary International Film Festival, 2015
66th Berlin International Film Festival, 2016
Cleveland International Film Festival, 2016
Rivera Maya Film Festival, 2016
Melbourne International Film Festival, 2016
Maryland Film Festival, 2016
Dallas International Film Festival, 2016
Blackcanvas FCC, 2017

Reviews

“Striking, clear-eyed, and very, very funny, it's been justly celebrated as one of the best Canadian films in years.” THE VILLAGE VOICE
“Might be emerging Canadian director Radwanski’s finest work thus far. ” FILMMAKER MAGAZINE
“Firmly establishes Radwanski as one of Canada’s best working filmmakers. ” BROOKLYN MAGAZINE
“Radwanski has proven himself a gentler, Southern Ontarian answer to Dardennes-style social realism, finding dignity and pathos in the repetitive rhythms and small pleasures of working-class lives.” CINEMA SCOPE
“Quiet, a bit pensive, a bit mysterious… the kind of film you love to discover. ” MUBI NOTEBOOK
Press Kit