There is no french sale yet of the film, but there should be one by next year. At the moment the only way to get a copy of the film is to buy
a US or Canadian version on Amazon.

Thanks for the interest. Spread the word.
DH

I saw your amazing film last year, in Deauville.

I was hoping it would be released in France at some point, but I don’t think it did.
Is it possible to buy a DVD that would work in France (i.e without the “zone” problem) ?

Thanks for this movie and all the best!!!

Warm regards,

Pierre

Well done on your decision to become involved in some way with the plight of street children, both runaway and throwaway, they need it. My introduction to that world was random, walking into a shelter and asking what was happening there (coming from the UK in the late 80’s, we didn’t have street children or a population of runaways.) It lead me to the story of missing children, and then to the effects of the trauma of sexual abuse, which was something I could relate to. I am so glad this film in some way could be helpful, it’s one of the reasons I made it.

To answer your questions: The Parents. I actually reshot the Parents sequence, after recasting the parents and rewriting the scenes because the first time around the scenes had been full of anger on Leslie’s part which had made the Parents defensive. I wanted to show that the Parents would be conflicted. Their child who had been gone for nine years had miraculously returned, but not as the eight year old who left but as a seventeen year old stranger. The emotions that would come up for them: the pain of loss, the anger at the abductors, the joy at the reunion would be struggling with the guilt they’d feel over the protective feelings they’d have towards their two younger children. A very real need to protect. They wouldn’t really know how much Leslie had been changed, they would have been prepped for this reunion by social services. In the end I wanted the parents to try to balance the effects of Leslie coming back, which they wanted a hundred percent, with not trying to upset the the routine and staus quo of the house. Therefore bedtime for the younger children had to happen as it did every night: a bath and a story.

The music is by the composer Craig Richey, he has said that he will be posting his score soon on his website. Any questions about the score can be answered by him there.

Thank you for your feedback and appreciation.

DH

Kudos to you for one of the most disturbing and haunting, yet beautiful films that I’ve ever watched. I appreciate all of your effort in this project that will or has touched many people personally or indirectly.

I have two questions:
1). There didn’t seem to be much guilt or emotion whatsoever from the parents after Leslie was reunited with them, or what little there was seemed to be short-lived as soon as their youngest children arrived home, is there a reason for this?

2) What is the name of the instrumental that plays throughout the movie and at the end while young Leslie is reading from The Jungle Book? As the music is playing we see older Donnie hitchhiking on the road to Florida.

Once again, thank you for Gardens of the night. I’ve decided to become involved with the Runaway shelter as a volunteer, I was affected so deeply.

Thanks for writing to us about GARDENS, much appreciated. I dont have a favorite film, there are so many I love and have been inspired by. But recently I was blown away by There Will Be Blood and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, also a turkish film called Three Monkeys and a Swiss film called Revanche. Films that are related to GARDENS in ways small and big are Mysterious Skin, Layla 4 ever, 4 moths 3 Week 2 Days, The Beat My Heart Skipped, Nobody Knows, Salaam Bombay.

DH

it was beautiful.
i loved the atmosphere you’ve created, together with great music, great acting and the choice of people you worked with (also in “mercy” – cast was perfect).
john malkovich, brilliant tom arnold, a little appearance by peta wilson – she has so much potential, and even this tiny drop that michelle rodriguez added to complete the picture.

i really admire your style, real and unreal at the same time, rough but delicate and fragile, little shy but confident and strong, very convincing and filled with passion.

i’m curious what is your favourite movie and what else you think is worth seeing? lately i’ve seen a lot of derek jarman’s films and i think aesthetically there is a connection between his and yours works.

thank you and i’m really looking forward to what’s next.

all the best,

miko

no need to apologise. I understand what you are saying. You are not alone.

DH