Greek-Australian serial-killer film gets ticket to Cannes
A new Australian film based on the gruesome confessions of a Greek-Australian serial killer and cannibal has been selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22).
?Snowtown,? which made the cut to be among the seven films that will be up for a jury prize, earned critical acclaim following its first screening at the BigPond Adelaide Film Festival, which ended on March 8.
The thriller documents the brutal murder of 12 people — committed in South Australia between 1992 and 1999 and which the media also dubbed the ?Bodies in Barrels Murders? because of where the victims? remains were found — through the prism of Greek Australian James Spyridon Vlassakis (known as Jamie), one of the four key suspects and the Crown?s star witness, who is currently serving a life sentence.
The case sent shock waves across Australia and has gone down in history as the most horribly repugnant in the country?s history. It was largely solved thanks to the testimony of Vlassakis, who was drawn into the gang of murderers by the man believed to be at the heart of the crime spree, John Justin Bunting.
?Snowtown? received special praise for the performances of the two lead actors playing Vlassakis and Bunting, Lucas Pittaway and Daniel Henshall respectively. It will open at theaters in Australia on May 19.
