The Organist
A man discovers he’s been feeding a cannibal in this deliciously macabre Melbourne-shot indie black comedy.
“Eating people is wrong!” At least, that’s what Graeme Sloane believes upon discovering that the organ-procurement business he works for – which ostensibly sources and delivers organs for rich patients in need – is, in fact, a sort of ‘farm’-to-table establishment for a wealthy cannibal. This charismatic Hannibal Lecter type has invited poor Graeme over for dinner, and his surprise at the situation leads to one of those unfortunate meetings with HR where he’s forcibly put on a path of ethically questionable compliance. When he meets his next donor target, though, the pair concoct a plan to make things right.
Andy Burkitt’s feature directorial debut, while morbid and murderous, is also charming and unexpectedly quirky, entertaining just as much with its absurd high concept as with its made-in-Melbourne bona fides. While each unsettling plot reveal warps The Organist into an ever darker and more deeply twisted tale, the energy of the game local cast and the unshakeable urge to find out what happens next keeps audiences from looking away.
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Director Andy Burkitt is a guest of the festival and will be in attendance at all sessions of the film.