Lemon

  • 87'
  • United States
  • 2017

Isaac is having a hard time. He doesn’t realise this yet himself, because facing up to reality is not what this early-forty-something from Los Angeles is particularly good at. Yet, after a while he can’t escape it: his girlfriend has left and isn’t coming back. And if you only get cast in commercials about diseases, it’s difficult to maintain that your acting career is going places.

In her striking feature debut, Janicza Bravo sketches a humorous and revealing portrait of a failure who gets deeper and deeper into trouble. Her husband Brett Gelman plays the lead – without a trace of shame – and also co-wrote the screenplay. Bravo, whose short film Gregory Go Boom (2013) won her the jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival, takes her place in a long tradition of American independent filmmakers, but very much finds her own voice. Lemon is a very dry, alternatingly hilarious and alienating tragicomedy about the possibility of failure.

Opening Film IFFR 2017. Nominated for the VPRO Big Screen Award.

  • 87'
  • United States
  • 2017
Director
Janicza Bravo
Premiere
International premiere
Country of production
United States
Year
2017
Festival Edition
IFFR 2017
Length
87'
Medium
DCP
Language
English
Producers
Paul Bernon, Sam Slater, David Bernon, Han West, Houston King
Production Companies
Burn Later Productions, Killer Films, CYRK
Sales
Screen Media
Screenplay
Janicza Bravo, Brett Gelman
Cinematography
Jason McCormick
Editor
Joi McMillon
Production Design
Grace Alie
Sound Design
Randy Lawson
Music
Heather Christian
Cast
Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long, Gillian Jacobs, Rhea Perlman, Fred Melamed
Director
Janicza Bravo
Premiere
International premiere
Country of production
United States
Year
2017
Festival Edition
IFFR 2017
Length
87'
Medium
DCP
Language
English
Producers
Paul Bernon, Sam Slater, David Bernon, Han West, Houston King
Production Companies
Burn Later Productions, Killer Films, CYRK
Sales
Screen Media
Screenplay
Janicza Bravo, Brett Gelman
Cinematography
Jason McCormick
Editor
Joi McMillon
Production Design
Grace Alie
Sound Design
Randy Lawson
Music
Heather Christian
Cast
Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long, Gillian Jacobs, Rhea Perlman, Fred Melamed