HOW HEAVY THIS HAMMER

Erwin is a 40-something married man and father of two who divides his time between work and family — and computer games based on violent Viking battles, which give him inspiration for his weekend rugby matches. He’s a middle-aged man who’s stuck in an adolescent mindset, and knows it, but can’t break the vicious circle in which he’s trapped. But does he really want to break it? This cringe-comedy is one perspective on modern North American masculinity and its desperate need for role models. Independent Toronto-based director, writer and producer Kazik Radwanski presents his second feature, after Tower (2012), just as he prepares to turn 30. His production company, MDFF (Medium Density Fibreboard Films), co-founded with university friend Dan Montgomery, makes ultra low-budget films using minimal crews, digital formats and natural lighting. Favouring explorations of middle-class lives, he takes a sensitive approach to intimate, topical subjects, with a documentary-like aesthetic. An up-and-coming filmmaker to watch.