Winner of the Silver Bear at this year's Berlin film festival.

Having debuted with Colombia-based cocaine drama Maria Full of Grace (MIFF 2004), American filmmaker Joshua Marston turns his attention to the sometimes bloody battle between tradition and progress in contemporary Albania.

In The Forgiveness of Blood, an Albanian teenager finds himself wedged in the middle of a blood feud between his father and another local man based on a six-centuries-old law, which means stepping foot from his house could literally end in his sanctioned death.

With the help of local Andamion Murataj, Marston has crafted a menacing and culturally faithful portrait of an Albania caught between the old ways and the new. Impressively performed by non-professional actors speaking in their native tongue, The Forgiveness of Blood offers a striking glimpse into an little-known world.

D Joshua Marston P Paul Mezey S Joshua Marston, Andamion Murataj Dist Madman Entertainment L Albanian w/English subtitles TD 35mm/2011