LOGLINE:
A small Texas town awakes when a high school wrestler gets involved with a drifter and her lover. Lives intertwine and spiral violently out of control once he becomes her escort driver and risks everything to save her.

LOVE, LUST, & LOSS – A DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:

I lived in Texas from 2004 to 2011 and during those years, I drove thousands of miles around the state passing through small towns like Pecos, Monahans, Midland, and Eagle Pass to larger cities like San Antonio, El Paso, and Houston – covering assignments as a freelance photographer. I was lucky enough to be able to shoot for one of my favorite magazines: TEXAS MONTHLY. And they sent me everywhere. The lonely stretches of highway, the weathered faces, the vast and flat landscapes, and the dry heat can all surely leave a lasting impression – especially to a newcomer. You can feel the history with every abandoned oil rig or gas station you pass. Being alone on the road offers you plenty of time to think and daydream. Being an editorial portrait photographer offers you the chance to embrace the unknown and the opportunity to meet interesting people from all walks of life. The sheriff. The doctor. The grieving family. The lawyer. The high school teacher. The exoneree. The corrupt politician. The prison guard. For a brief moment you get to hear their stories and see a tiny glimpse of their lives. You swap tales and then head back on the road, with hands on the wheel but with thoughts still stuck on all the things you were told and the faces you saw. Somehow I was always left wanting more and selfishly, I just didn’t want these stories to end or the faces to disappear. So I would make up my own – putting people in strange places and then stranger situations. It made being on the road a bit easier but more importantly, it strengthened my joy for storytelling.

ALL ROADS TO PEARLA (formerly known as Sleeping in Plastic)  was born through these long drives from town to town. It is my ode to the darker side of Texas and my answer to what happens when our definitions of love, lust, and loss all blend together. However, the film at its core is a love story about two damaged souls and the difficulty of escaping the calamity that has defined their lives. The characters in this world are faced with grueling obstacles and are forced to react in primal ways just to survive. I am interested in exploring the idea of choices and how people make them given their circumstances. We all have dreams and desires so what are the consequences of those?

– VAN DITTHAVONG

SPECS:
Runtime:  108 minutes

Aspect Ratio:  2:1

Shooting Format:  Arri Alexa 2K

Sound:  Dolby 5.1

Production Companies: Red Entertainment + goPOP FILMS

Production Country:  USA