One of the out of competition titles presented during this year’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival is
Johan Carlsen’s drama
Headlock, his debut feature, released in 2011. The story, penned by the director together with
Micah Magee (here also acting as a producer), follows the misfortunes of a modern-day farmer from Illinois, a young man called Kurt (played by
Zack Mulligan), who ends up jobless and struggles to provide for his family of two sons and a caring wife (
Katie Folger). Kurt shows himself as a proud, stubborn and hopeless man from the very start. Everyone around him, including his family and friends, seems worried and more or less genuinely willing to help. Nevertheless, Kurt is overwhelmed by his sense of responsibility and refuses any kind of support.