This boxset brings together three early films from John Sayles, one of the foremost American Independent directors working today. Never before available in the UK, these films are characterised by their nuanced observations, humanity and irrepressible sense of independence, forming the foundations of Sayles’ illustrious career. RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS SEVEN (1980) John Sayles’ directorial debut, The Return of the Secaucus Seven is a landmark moment in American independent cinema. Shot on free locations with actors drawn from Sayles’ Eastern Slope Playhouse, the film is an affectionately observed ensemble drama that deals with the annual reunion of several college friends. Formerly bound by the shared moral and political activism of 1960’s campus life, the group have all chosen different paths since graduation but despite the shifts in time and the changing nature of their relationships remain linked by a shared experience and common humanity. LIANNA (1983) Directed, written and edited by Sayles, Lianna was one of the first American films to deal with a lesbian relationship in a non-exploitive manner. It also continued Sayles’ crafting of strong female roles and interest in protagonists largely ignored by the mainstream. BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET (1984) Following a trying studio experience on Baby It's You, John Sayles triumphantly returned to independent productions with the African-American sci-fi allegory The Brother From Another Planet. Sayles regular Joe Morton (Lone Star) stars as an escaped mute black slave who fetches up in Harlem. Deftly performed and executed with Sayles’ trademark gift for understatement, the film was a sizeable box-office success and was nominated for a Sundance Grand Jury Prize.

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