Collider may exclusively present a new trailer for Blazefeature-length directorial debut by Australian artist Del Katherine Barton. The film is a dark coming-of-age story of a girl who sees her fantasies twisted after she witnesses a violent crime.
The trailer introduces us to Blaze (Julia Savage), a young girl who is often lost in her own imagination. For example, Blaze has a papier-mâché dragon named Zephyr that she takes with her everywhere, and when her mind is freed, she actually sees him come to life. While fantasy can be an incredible tool in everyday life, Blaze’s mind begins to create eerie and distorted images after she witnesses a woman being brutally assaulted and murdered by a man in an alley. Afterwards, Blaze’s shock alters her imagination, causing her to confront nightmarish images.
The film shows how a fantasy setting is used to deal with trauma. First, Blaze feels guilty for not calling for help when she witnessed the attack. As such, the film will follow Blaze as she tries to understand how the crime she saw will affect the rest of her life, and how she can still build a fulfilling future for herself.
BlazeThe trailer is also filled with creepy imagery. A girl’s imagination can lead her into a dark corner, and watching an animated puppet emerge from a corpse’s mouth can be very unnerving for some viewers. However, these powerful metaphors perfectly capture trauma. Director Barton also drew on her experience as an artist to compose beautiful scenes, which is another reason to catch this scene in theaters.
Who in Blaze?
Blaze also stars Simon Baker (mentalist) as the girl’s titular father, a caring man who only wants the best for his daughter. The cast also counts talents Josh Lawson as well as Yoel Stone. Barton is directing from a script she wrote. Juna Amviro.
Blaze will be released in theaters and on demand on January 20, 2023. Check out the exclusive trailer and movie synopsis below:
Blaze is an introverted 12-year-old girl who lives with her loving father in Sydney, content with her creative world. She is walking home from a corner store one afternoon when she meets Hannah, a woman she has never met before, who is brutally assaulted in an alley. Blaze is paralyzed with fear and cannot understand what she is seeing. Her gaze meets Hannah’s before Jake leaves the woman broken and lifeless. Shocked, Blaze returns home, where Zephyr, a giant shimmering dragon who has been her soul mate since childhood, mourns for her girlfriend.
Source: Collider
