The Last Tree (film)

The Last Tree is a 2019 British drama film directed by Shola Amoo. It premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival [1][2] and was released in the UK on 27 September 2019.[3]

The Last Tree
Directed byShola Amoo
Produced by
  • Myf Hopkins
  • Lee Thomas
Written byShola Amoo
StarringSam Adewunmi, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Denise Black, Tai Golding, Ruthxjiah Bellenea, Demmy Ladipo and Nicholas Pinnock
Music bySegun Akinola
CinematographyStil Williams
Edited byMdhamiri Á Nkemi
Production
company
Release date
  • 24 January 2019 (2019-01-24) (Sundance)
  • 27 September 2019 (2019-09-27) (UK)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Premise

Growing up with his foster mother amongst the rolling fields of rural Lincolnshire, Femi’s young life seems as idyllic as the landscape. But when he returns to London to live with his birth mother he begins to struggle with the culture and values of his new environment. As the years pass, he must decide which path to adulthood he wants to take and what it means to be a young black man in London during the early 00s. His search for self and identity will take him on an emotionally charged and utterly unforgettable journey through various stages of his life.[3]

Cast
  • Sam Adewunmi as Femi
  • Gbemisola Ikumelo as Yinka
  • Denise Black as Mary
  • Tai Golding as Younger Femi
  • Nicholas Pinnock as Mr Williams
  • Ruthxjiah Bellenea as Tope
  • Demmy Ladipo as Mace

Release

After premiering at 2019 Sundance Film Festival where it was well received, the film had its UK premiere at Sundance London in May 2019 and was released in UK cinemas on 27 September by Picturehouse Entertainment.[4] It was released on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital on 27 January 2020[3]

Reception

On release, The Observer's Mark Kermode made it his "Film of the Week [5] saying it was a "tender tale of an uprooted childhood" and that "Powerful performances, tactile visuals and an elegantly fluid score add to the impact of this impressively understated yet profoundly moving tale"

Nigel Andrew for The Financial Times called it the "hypnotic work of a natural-born film-maker" [6]; Variety's Guy Lodge found it a "stirring study of a black teenager carving out his own identity in modern Britain"[7]; and Andy Lea for The Daily Star said that "excellent acting, great writing and a powerful sense of time and place power this stylish coming-of-age tale’.

In December 2019 it was included as one of Time Out's best films of 2019 [8]

It continues to be very well received with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[9]

Accolades

Shola Amoo won Best Screenplay at the Writers' Guild Awards 2020 [10]

At 2019 BIFAs [11] Sam Adewunmi won Most Promising Newcomer for playing Femi and Ruthxjiah Bellenea received the Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tope "drawing cheers for her tearful acceptance speech in which she thanked teachers and the team on the film [12] Sam Adewunmi was also nominated fro Best Actor and Shaheen Baig and Aisha Bywaters were nominated for Best Casting.

In December 2019 BAFTA shortlisted the film and producer Myf Hopkins, for Outstanding Debut by a British writer, director or producer [13]

Segun Akinola was nominated as Discovery of the Year 2019 at the World Soundtrack Awards [14]

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References
  1. "Sundance Unveils Politics-Heavy Lineup Featuring Ocasio-Cortez Doc, Feinstein Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  2. "2019 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: 112 FEATURES ANNOUNCED". Sundance Institute. 25 November 2018.
  3. "Official website". www.thelasttree.film. 26 January 2020.
  4. "Film Information". Picturehouse. 26 January 2019.
  5. "The Last Tree review – tender tale of an uprooted childhood". The Guardian. 29 September 2019.
  6. "The Last Tree — hypnotic work of a natural-born film-maker". Financial Times. 25 September 2019.
  7. "Sundance Film Review: 'The Last Tree'". Variety. 24 January 2019.
  8. "The best films of 2019". Time Out. 10 December 2019.
  9. "The Last Tree". Rotten Tomatoes. 26 January 2019.
  10. "Writers' Guild Award winners 2020". 13 January 2020.
  11. "BIFA 2019 Winners". BIFA. 26 January 2019.
  12. "'David Copperfield,' 'For Sama,' Renee Zellweger Win at British Independent Film Awards". 1 December 2019.
  13. "BAFTA announces ten shortlisted Films for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer". 9 December 2019.
  14. "Discovery of the Year 2019". 26 January 2019.
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