Desert Noir

The tangled web of the urban jungle, woven from long boulevards, dark side streets, cigarette-smoked nightclubs and towering high-rises, is the most typical location of noir stories. However, as we have illustrated in our festival program in the past, tales of fatal crime, destructive passion and toxic relationships have found their place in western settings. It was also not unusual for noir protagonists to flee from their past or recent fatal missteps in life to the mountains or the countryside, where they sought shelter in a desire to restart their lives. The vast American plains and arid deserts also offered them a chance to escape the hustle and bustle and sins of big city life. This is where the films of this year’s main section of DESERT NOIR will be set.