Locked
	In Stock, Ships Immediately!		DVD: $19.99

		incest, sexual abuse

Film Overview

Directed By: Juli C. Lasselle Written By: Juli C. Lasselle View Official Website	Release Date: 2007-05-01 Running Time: 1:36 Content Rating: R18 (Restricted)	DVD Region: All Regions Media Format: NTSC-DVD Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Audio Language(s): English, Cantonese Subtitle Language(s): English
Genres: Hard to Classify Influences: The Celebration // The Big Chill // Sherry Baby

Synopsis

The evocative story of Anna’s courageous struggle to tell the truth about her childhood and live freely in the present.

When Anna (Brynn Horrocks) returns to her childhood home following her father’s death, she finds herself unable to let go of her painful childhood memories. Anna and her sister, Mia (Hope Allen), have never seen eye to eye on their past. Anna tries to make the best of it when Mia and Mia’s fiancé, Eric (Jonathan Firth), arrive at her home to celebrate their engagement, along with Mia’s best friend, Kate (Eugenia Yuan), Kate’s husband, Rhys (Gerald McCullouch), and Anna's ex-boyfriend George (Stacey Hinnen). The celebration takes a backseat to a weekend of drama when Anna is sexually accosted by Eric. Between Eric’s unwanted sexual advances, George’s uninvited arrival, and Mia’s continual denial and superiority; Anna feels pressured to tell the truth about the weekend and her past. Anna must face her own demons in order to tell Mia about her betrayal, George about her abortion, and be free from the memories that haunt her.

Cast

Anna LaCroix: Brynn Horrocks | bio
Originally from Seattle, her first professional calling took her to The Playmill Theatre in West Yellowstone Montana where she performed in an assortment of plays and variety shows. Most recently she has guest starred on “E. R.” and “The L Word” as well as featured in the up coming film “The Oh in Ohio”, starring Parker Posey. Some of her past work includes “The Politics of Fur” (best feature Outfest 2002), “Rock-n-Roll High School Forever”, “Honor Thy Mother”, “Daughter of the Streets”, and a stint of performance art at LACE gallery.
Eric Prentice: Jonathan Firth | bio
This youthful-looking, thirty-something actor unfairly seems to be best known as the younger brother of British heartthrob, Colin Firth. This is indeed a pity because Jonathan Firth has developed a distinct and interesting resume of his own with performances in radio, theatre, feature films, but more prominently in very high quality television work. After graduating from the Central School of Speech and Drama, London, Firth landed several television roles, most notably as the "struggling to find himself" Fred Vincy in the wonderful British mini-series "Middlemarch". Firth later had an opportunity to showcase a fuller range of emotion and acting skill as the very complicated Sergeant Troy in a superior remake of “Far from the Madding Crowd”. More recently, Mr. Firth was cast as the morally upright Prince Albert in A & E's production of “Victoria & Albert”.
Kate O'Connor: Eugenia Yuan | bio
Daughter of Cheng Pei Pei, one of Hong Kong's reigning queens of kung fu film. Raised in the United States, Yuan trained as a rhythm gymnast for the U.S. Olympic team although she never actually competed in the Games. Having grown up watching and admiring her mother on the big screen, Yuan finally took up acting herself in 1996, hoping to share in her mother's fame. She has appeared in several television series in the U.S. including Beverly Hills 90210, Baywatch, NYPD Blues, and Sammo Hung's Martial Law. Although hoping to forge her own success independently in America, Yuan has co-starred with her mother in Flying Dragon, Leaping Tiger (2002), alongside Sammo Hung. She was in the Rob Marshall film Memoirs of a Geisha. Most recently, the award winning film Choking Man. She is star of the mockumentary “Mail Order Wife” and the award winning indie features “Charlotte Sometimes” and “The Choking Man”.
Rhys O'Connor: Gerald McCullouch | bio
TV: recurring and guest starring roles on “CSI”, “Navy NCIS”, “Melrose Place”, “7th Heaven”, “Beverly Hills 90210”, “Chicago Hope”, “In the Heat of the Night”, “Leaving LA”, a few soaps and the Emmy nominated TNT movie “Pirates of the Silicon Valley” for which his performance received a mention in the Daily Variety. FILM: The critically acclaimed “Auggie Rose’ with Jeff Goldblum and Anne Heche and the Temi Lopez film “Home: The Horror Story” with Grace Zabriskie, Richard Beymer and Tracey Nelson. His directorial debut award winning short film, “The Moment After”, in which he co-stars with Latin heartthrob Gabriel Romero and Leslie Easterbrook is currently exhibiting to critical acclaim in festivals worldwide including screening tours throughout Germany, England and Columbia.
Mia LaCroix: Hope Allen | bio
HOPE ALLEN began her modeling career at the age of sixteen in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon graduating from high school she moved briefly to New York before making Los Angeles her permanent home. Although she still models and does commercials, dramatic acting is where her real interest is. She has been featured in many episodes of Network television such as “Friends”, “Frasier”, and “Alias”. She also had small parts in “Liar, Liar” and “Dumb and Dumber”. She studied with acting coach Larry Moss for three years while on a self-imposed hiatus and is excited to get back in front of the camera. During her break she was named contributing editor for the magazine Ability. The magazine focuses on the improvement of life for those living with disablities. She has covered stories on everything from diseases in Africa to stem cell research.
George Browne: Stacey Hinnen | bio
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Film Studies from the University of Kansas, where he performed in numerous stage productions, Stacey moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. While appearing in major motion pictures as well as working in film production, Stacey also continued to study improvisation as a member of ImprovOlympic West. He can still occasionally be found making people laugh in sketch comedy shows at The Second City – Los Angeles. You can also see him on the well-established “ER” as well as the new hot shows “Grey's Anatomy”, “Scrubs” and “The Inside”.

Crew

Director: Juli C. Lasselle | bio
Originally from Berkeley, attended New York University before she moved to Ireland to pursue her love of photography. A member of the Photographic Society of Ireland, she taught and showed her photography throughout Ireland winning several awards. She is currently represented by Ann Flynn of the Art Bar and Tiburon Fine Art Gallery.

Ms. Lasselle went to graduate school at University College Dublin where she graduated with second degree honours (summa cum laude) with an MA in Film Studies. She then returned to the US to pursue film. She wrote/directed/produced the award winning short documentary 'Man Meets Bull' (Filmmakers’ Award, Durango Film Festival) and the award winning short film 'love Francesca' (Film Award for Innovation & Daring, Fayetteville Short Film Fest). 'love Francesca' was soon picked up for distribution at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival.
Writer: Juli C. Lasselle
Production Company: Mandorla Pictures

Bonus Features

Cast Interviews
Theatrical Trailers
Interactive Menus
Scene Selections

Accolades

Festivals

The Warren Report
The Capitol Theater
Washington Coalition for Sexual Assault Programs Conference
Evergreen State College
Whitman College
Providence Hospital Sexual Assault Center
LA Femme FIlm Festival

Press Reviews

The Olympian | show/hide snippet
...impressionistic style is focused on creating feeling and mood. Both that style and her commitment to feminism are evident.
The Warren Report | show/hide snippet
I knew the film was solid and was delighted by the audience’s intuitive grasp of the somewhat subtle, yet incredibly rich textures of LOCKED.
Richard Evans, filmmaker /actor | show/hide snippet
Writer/director/producer Juli C. Lasselle has assembled a talented cast and company to bring LOCKED to fruition. Gradually building to a wrenching conclusion, LOCKED reveals a wounded Brynn Horrocks as Anna, and a relentlessly cruel, almost demonic Hope Allen as her sister, Mia. A standout is Eugenia Yuan who brings an understated clarity to the role of Kate. The excellent photography by David Doko enhances Lasselle's rich sense of time and place, adding much to the story of a conflicted woman's unhappiness.
Bill Burmester, MFT, president of BAATTD (Bay Area Association for the Treatment | show/hide snippet
Juli C. Lasselle's 'Locked' explores the devastation wrought by incest long after it appears to be over. Two sisters, the one relying on aggressive denial, the other still vulnerable to re-victimization, struggle to unburden themselves of their abusive past as it resurfaces in their adult relationships. In the end, the strength to live through unresolved pain, without just submitting to it or re-inflicting it, holds out hope for healing that is lost to those who force their demons onto others or back into the shadows. 'Locked' is an engaging, compelling, and ultimately hopeful film about a dire legacy.
Janice Palm, MA, LMHC, Director, Shepherd's Counseling Services | show/hide snippet
Juli Lasselle speaks to the uncomfortable reality of childhood sexual abuse, its devastating impact on family relationships, and the courageous struggle to heal. LOCKED accurately portrays the devastating and lasting ripple effect of incest to the victim, the family system, and to relationships well into adulthood. Lasselle's courageous and truthful telling of a painful and all too familiar story brings hope to those who seek relief from the secret shame and suffering of sexual violation in childhood. This film dispels the notion that abuse survivors can simply 'get over' the abuse. It does show, however, that the confusion and despair of abuse can come to have meaning and that out of the struggle to heal, wisdom, strength, and hope can emerge.
Marc Gilmartin, MA, Licensed Mental Health Counselor | show/hide snippet
LOCKED is a thought provoking movie that examines the residual damage of childhood sexual abuse. It will hopefully inspire much needed dialogue in our culture about why some people just can't "get over" their sexual abuse histories.
Matthew Love, RScP Prayer Counselor, Life Coach | show/hide snippet
Juli C. Lasselle is a master of subtlety and detail. LOCKED explores dynamic human interaction as a refreshing departure from even most independent film projects and invites the viewer, with a softened heart and healing intention, into contemplation few projects would dare take you. LOCKED is a courageous venture of great significance.
Michelle Shyman, filmmaker/actress | show/hide snippet
Juli C. Lasselle's film LOCKED skillfully surrounds the audience, embeds the audience, and cloaks the audience in the lives of the characters in this drama of redemption. From the scene early on when the cars arrive at Anna's home, the viewer of this film feels the same discomfort that the characters feel. The characters' behavior is ever-so-slightly off kilter; with wonderful shot composition and spare dialog, Juli lets the audience also feel slightly off kilter. She lets us feel, rather than manipulating us to feel. We are gently taken for a ride which begins in discomfort, travels through pain and finally emerges into the pale light of hope.
Juli's cinematographic choices reinforce the feelings. The town of Locke was a superb place to represent isolation and deterioration in the beginning of the film. The canal and open spaces surrounding the town represent, in contrast, the possibilities of a more open life in the end of the film.
Fans of character-driven dramas will love these all-too-real women and their men, alternately smiling and cringing as the sisters replay family battles. Perhaps, as I did, you will have a hard time stopping yourself from shouting at Anna, 'Stop it, already!' But, just wait a few minutes her sister Mia will do the shouting for you.