Program Note
A man is on a hiking trail in a California desert, when he notices his car is missing. As he searches around, he follows a wandering boy and eventually ends up in a remote cabin occupied by a young woman. A strange dynamic between the two occurs, along with several violent encounters with menacing boys holding the woman captive. As the man realizes the calculated trap he is fallen into, it is too late to avoid the horrific outcome he will be subjected to.
The Seeding is a daring, nightmarish feature debut by writer/director Barnaby Clay, whose noted music video works include songs by Gnarls Barkley, “YYYs”, and more. This slow-burning shocker tackling toxic masculinity and our fear of isolation effectively presents the steps of deterioration in a man’s psyche upon being faced with desperation and a battle for survival. As a newcomer, Barnaby Clay is a director to be reckoned with. (Jongsuk Thomas NAM)