FICTION AS DOCUMENTARY

Lawrence, grieving the suicide of his twin brother attempts to take his own life but survives. He runs a local convenience store and gas station yet no longer has the heart to maintain them. When his estranged sister-in-law brings her son to the man’s drab Mississippi Delta property, seeking protection from the violent threats of a local gang, these three deeply wounded individuals must forge a new path through the grudges and ghosts of the past. Featuring a deeply affecting cast of predominantly amateur actors, Lance Hammer’s 2008 film Ballast is a wonder of delicate poignancy, Bressonian in its realism. 

In this discussion, cinematographer Lol Crawley will revisit his handheld, documentary-style approach to framing this understated story, the first feature he shot (and winner of best cinematography for a dramatic film at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival).