Sara is a young girl raised in a family of goat farmers. Her parents homeschool their twelve children, rigorously following the precepts of the Bible. Like her sisters, Sara is taught to be a devout woman, subservient to men while keeping her emotional and physical purity intact until marriage. When Sara meets Colby, a young amateur bull rider, she is thrown into crisis, questioning the only way of life she has ever known. In a stunning portrayal of contemporary America and the insular communities that dot its landscape, Stop the Pounding Heart is an exploration of adolescence, family and social values, gender roles, and religion in the rural American South.
“What comes to mind is something between the outdoor poetics of the Terence Malick school and the composed grittiness of revered photographer William Eggleston…What’s most fascinating about the film is its approach to religion: in this community, every rodeo meeting is prefaced by prayers…Amid the realism is the odd enigma, such as the mediaeval-style dresses that Sara and sisters wear on a picnic. These people may lead an exceptionally odd life, but Minervini’s achievement in this quietly impressive film is to let us see what’s exceptional, rather than just odd.” –Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily
Director Roberto Minervini will meet the audience for a Q&A after all Friday (9/19) and Saturday (9?20) screenings.