Sound of Violence (2021)

An astonishing fete of contemporary film-making, ‘The Man in the Hat’ is a beautifully framed odyssey of music, story-telling and silent comedy traversing the breath-taking landscapes of France. ‘The Man in the Hat’ (Ciarán Hinds) journeys through France in a Fiat 500 accompanied by a framed photograph of an unknown woman. He is pursued by five angry men in a Citroën Dyane. Why are they chasing him? And how can he shake them off? Travelling North on his escape across the mountains, gorges and bridges of France, he hears stories of love and loss, listens to Shubert, Otis Redding and Canteloube, and encounters mysterious strangers including The Damp Man (Stephen Dillane), The Chef (Muna Otaru) and The Biker (Maïwenn); coming face to face with the vivid eccentricities of an old country on an old continent, whilst trying to evade the pursuers who are always, relentlessly, on his tail.