Parijat Ghosh 
Trailer drops, buzz starts, and we are ready for a cinematic ride. The new film A Prayer for the Dying has released its first trailer just ahead of its world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, set to screen in the festival’s Perspectives section, which spotlights debut directors from all over the world.
What A Prayer for the Dying Is About
This story takes place in the 1870s in a small town called Friendship, Wisconsin, just after the American Civil War. Our main character, Jacob Hansen, is a veteran haunted by his past. He comes to the town with high hopes but soon faces real-life chaos.
The film blends survival drama, raw emotion, and small-town grit as Hansen takes on not one but three big roles at the same time: sheriff, pastor, and undertaker. Life in Friendship gets intense when a deadly epidemic spreads, and a threatening wildfire endangers everything and everyone. Jacob must step up not just to keep people alive, but to save his family and to reconcile with his own demons.
So yes, it’s post-war drama meets tragedy meets moral messiness, and somehow also the emotional punch you didn’t know you needed this year.
Cast You Should Know
The film brings together a slate of talented actors:
- Johnny Flynn plays Jacob Hansen, the emotionally complex lead trying to do right in a town that is falling apart.
- John C. Reilly steps in as Doc, a figure whose role supports Jacob in his fight for survival and purpose.
- Kristine Kujath Thorp is Marta, an important emotional anchor in the story, central to the family dynamic.
- Gustav Lindh appears as Harlow, rounding out the core ensemble and adding depth to the town’s tapestry.
This mix of actors is both intriguing and promising, especially with Flynn and Reilly bringing their scene chemistry from past collaborations into a serious dramatic setting.
The Mind Behind It All
A Prayer for the Dying is written and directed by Dara Van Dusen, marking her feature directorial debut. That’s a huge deal because it means this film is not just another period drama but a personal artistic statement from a new voice in filmmaking.
The movie is an adaptation of a novel by Stewart O’Nan, so there’s a strong literary backbone supporting the emotional and dramatic threads onscreen. The cinematography and visual narrative come from Kate McCullough, with Fredrik Morheden editing the film’s pace and flow. The production design by Hubert Pouille and costumes by Ján Kocman help transport us into that scorching, dusty world of 19th-century Wisconsin.
Flags and Festival Buzz
The film is an international co-production involving companies from Norway, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Sweden. It represents a huge moment for Dara Van Dusen’s career as a filmmaker. It’s also in the running for the Best First Feature Award at Berlin, which is a prize that officially recognizes first-time directors making standout movies.
The trailer sets a haunting tone right away. You get the sense that this movie isn’t afraid to be emotional, messy, intense, and even a little heartbreaking. The fire, the epidemic, the family tension, the internal battles. It all suggests A Prayer for the Dying could be one of those films that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Bottom line: this is not your average historical flick. It’s about heartbreak, hope, chaos, and the unglamorous heroics of everyday people. And honestly, with a cast like this, we are totally intrigued.
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