Burden is a new drama film directed and written by Andrew Heckler. This is only the first film he has directed and written, as he has also worked more as an actor in the film world.
The film is set in 1996 in South Carolina and is about Mike Burden (Garret Hedlund) a quiet but loyal member of the Ku Klux Klan. When Mike meets single mom Judy (Andrea Riseborough) and falls in love with her, he tries to leave the Klan. In order to leave the Klan, he seeks shelter with the African American pastor Kennedy (Forest Whitaker) and his family. Pastor Kennedy himself tries to maintain peace between the different races. Now he must first balance the home situation between his family and an ex-member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Andrew Heckler has already conceived and written the script for this film in 1998. Later in 2018 he directed and further filmed the film. The film has only recently been released, because there was still too little money and production from producers to really release the film. This late production is a bit understandable, because the real story where Mike Burden tries to leave behind the Ku Klux Klan only starts somewhere in the middle of the film. As a viewer you will see more about how African-Americans and members of the Ku Klux Klan interact with each other. Although this part of the film contains important information, it is somewhat unnecessary to spend so much tide on these clear messages. If Andrew Heckler had spent a little less time on this, the beginning of the film would have felt a little less wordy.
Once in the middle of the film where the story really starts, Andrew Heckler also shows you as a viewer the good and bad sides of an ex-member of the Ku Klux Klan and an African American family. You also see how both sides condemn each other and actually find it difficult to give each other a second chance. The film also responds to current events where people still measure each other with the history and cultures of their different races.
The acting is done well in the film. Garrett Hedlund and Forest Whitaker both wear the film as two sides of the same coin. Other size actors like Andrea Riseborough and Tom Wilkinson play more small but important roles in this movie.
The film is set in 1996 in South Carolina and is about Mike Burden (Garret Hedlund) a quiet but loyal member of the Ku Klux Klan. When Mike meets single mom Judy (Andrea Riseborough) and falls in love with her, he tries to leave the Klan. In order to leave the Klan, he seeks shelter with the African American pastor Kennedy (Forest Whitaker) and his family. Pastor Kennedy himself tries to maintain peace between the different races. Now he must first balance the home situation between his family and an ex-member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Andrew Heckler has already conceived and written the script for this film in 1998. Later in 2018 he directed and further filmed the film. The film has only recently been released, because there was still too little money and production from producers to really release the film. This late production is a bit understandable, because the real story where Mike Burden tries to leave behind the Ku Klux Klan only starts somewhere in the middle of the film. As a viewer you will see more about how African-Americans and members of the Ku Klux Klan interact with each other. Although this part of the film contains important information, it is somewhat unnecessary to spend so much tide on these clear messages. If Andrew Heckler had spent a little less time on this, the beginning of the film would have felt a little less wordy.
Once in the middle of the film where the story really starts, Andrew Heckler also shows you as a viewer the good and bad sides of an ex-member of the Ku Klux Klan and an African American family. You also see how both sides condemn each other and actually find it difficult to give each other a second chance. The film also responds to current events where people still measure each other with the history and cultures of their different races.
The acting is done well in the film. Garrett Hedlund and Forest Whitaker both wear the film as two sides of the same coin. Other size actors like Andrea Riseborough and Tom Wilkinson play more small but important roles in this movie.