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Firecracker by Pierre-Alexandre Despatis, IONCINEMA Wamego, Kansas. The current population is 3708. Years ago, a series of obscure events led to the discovery of a body in a backyard while the small town is visited by a strange sideshow. Filmed on location in Wamego, Firecracker opens with the discovery of a body and then traces all the events that led to the murder. "This story is a part of my history," says Steve Balderson. "I can't believe something as astonishing happened three blocks from my childhood home." Balderson who directed his first feature a film on a series of school shootings at the age of 22 decided to bring this story to the big screen. Annually in the spring, huge portions of the Kansas prairie are burned to make way for new growth. An area the size of Los Angeles is set ablaze, delivering one of the most gorgeous and apocalyptic landscapes on earth. The burning of the prairies became the ideal images for the opening credits of "Firecracker" and properly set the tone for the rest of the film. This film is a tragic horror film without any horror per se. The film relies solely on its sinister ambiance and unique characters to create a very unique tone and it works very well. The characters are strange and freaky, yet we can recognize ourselves in the film. "There is no time associated with 'Firecracker'," says Balderson. "Even though the actual events occurred more than half a century ago, it is a classic story that transcends a time period. The hiding and denial of abuse and imprisonment has been with us since the beginning of time … and will remain with us until we confront it." This is what is so chilling about the film; those themes are universal and we can recognize ourselves in the film even though it may seem very remote on the surface. ---------------------------------------- IONCINEMA - 2005
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