John Sayles Collection - Lianna/Brother From Another Planet DVD

One of the foremost American directors working today, John Sayles self-financed his first film, Return Of The Secaucus Seven (1979), a bittersweet look at a reunion of 60s political activists. With a production budget of only $40,000, the film gained a national theatrical release, and is seen as precipitating the first post-Cassavetes wave of American independent filmmaking. Sayles' keen interest in storytelling and strong political sense quickly established him as a key figure in independent cinema.

His follow-up, Lianna (1982) was one of the first American movies to deal with a lesbian relationship in a non-exploitive manner, and set the template for Sayles' crafting of strong female roles and protagonists largely ignored by the mainstream.

Following a testing studio experience, Sayles returned to independent productions with the African-American sci-fi allegory The Brother From Another Planet (1984). Shot on a shoestring budget, the film featured Joe Morton as a black extra-terrestrial who crashes to earth in Harlem.

Characterised by their nuanced observations, humanity and irrepressible send of independence, the three films that comprise this box set form the foundations of Sayles' illustrious career.

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