- "Somewhere West" is a visually breathtaking road-film that explores the human spirit with emotional breadth and quiet subtlety. After battling with a terminal illness, Ian decides to forgo treatment and head West in search of solitude and a beautiful place to spend his final moments. However, despite his best efforts, Ian becomes the center of a makeshift family of troubled, but kind-hearted characters who help him in the redemptive process of letting go, opening his heart and finally reaching his undetermined destination. "Somewhere West" is a journey of forgiveness and friendship that travels 3000 miles across some of the most revelatory landscapes in the US including: Michigan's Upper Peninsula, The Badlands, Black Hills, Devils Tower, Yellowstone, Great Salt Lake and Bonneville Salt Flats.—David Marek
- WINNER - Best Feature Film - East Lansing Film Festival (2011) WINNER - Best No Budget Feature-Vegas Independent Film Festival! (2011) WINNER - Best Feature Fiction - Student Film Festival London (2012) WINNER - Best Cinematography - Student Film Festival London (2012) WINNER - Best Cinematography - Uptown Film Festival (2012) WINNER - Silver Palm Award - Mexico International Film Festival (2012) WINNER - Best Detroit Windsor Feature - Detroit Windsor International Film Festival (2012) Official Selection - Austin Film Festival (2011) RUNNER UP - Best Feature - Green Bay Film Festival (2012) RUNNER UP - Best Cinematography - Hoboken International Film Festival (2012) HONORABLE MENTION - Best Feature - Indie Gathering International Film Festival Official Selection - Long Island International Film Expo (7/2012) Official Selection - World Music & Independent Film Festival (8/2012) Official Selection - Bolder Life Festival (9/2012) Official Selection - Big Water Film Festival (11/2012)
Somewhere West is a visually breathtaking road-film that explores the human spirit with emotional breadth and quiet subtlety. After battling a terminal illness, Ian decides to forgo treatment and head West in search of solitude and a beautiful place to spend his final moments. However, despite his best efforts to isolate himself, Ian becomes the center of a makeshift family of kind-hearted characters who help him in the redemptive process of letting go, opening his heart and finally reaching his undetermined destination. Somewhere West is a journey of forgiveness and friendship that travels 3000 miles across some of the most revelatory landscapes in the US including: Michigan's Upper Peninsula, The Badlands, Black Hills, Devils Tower, Yellowstone, Great Salt Lake and Bonneville Salt Flats.
Shot in 30 consecutive days while traveling 4982 miles in an RV with a cast of 4 and crew of 5, "Somewhere West" is a triumph of filmmaking ingenuity and collaboration. The cast and crew slept wherever they parked, ate and rehearsed while driving, showered at campgrounds and did laundry on the rare occasion they stopped in a town for supplies. Shot chronologically, they lived the story of the film in real time, and the result is evident in the subtle and authentic performances, as well as the attention and innovation of the visual style in this unforgettable film.
What's been said about Somewhere West:
"It is truly all that a film festival film should be; a great story, great acting, stirring cinematography and above and beyond all else a truly independent vision that will rock your heart and soul. I love this movie -- no, it's not a movie -- it's a film! Director David Marek creates one of the most haunting portraits of a man in search of his soul on a journey during his last days on terra firma. It is Bertolucci, Antonioni and Malick all rolled into one -- with a touch of Lynch on the side. It is a must see film that I hope gets global distribution ..." Charles Cirgenski - Emmy Award Winning Filmmaker.
"I was lost in the film immediately. I luxuriated spending time in that world. Daves film has very little sound and fury its quiet in a noisy time. Its big talk in a time of small talk When Daves film ends, he was after something bigger than the story. He was after the big picture." Phil Solomon - World Recognized Filmmaker & Artist.
"... it's everything indie film was supposed to be. Low-budget, made from the heart, excellent story and acting, and something different!" Debra Markowitz - Director of The Long Island International Film Expo
"The heart-breaking film remained honest and raw through its entirety." Hayley Samuelson - Elephant Journal.
"... beautiful and brooding ... The timelessly still, open landscapes provide the perfect juxtaposition for the characters story." James Hocking - Gorilla Film Magazine
"Then there's a film that encompasses what most people believe an independent film is, David Mareks Somewhere West." Suzanne Janik - Director of the Detroit Windsor Independent Film Festival.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content