Since The Divide’s 2018 Debut, the film has accumulated an impressive collection of accolades and awards, winning 26 out of their 38 award nominations and securing invitations to over 15 film festivals in a few short years.
To call The Divide’s cast, ‘star-studded’ would be an understatement. The film stars Bryan Kaplan (Chronicles of Jessica Wu, Cult of Eden), Sara Arrington (Stargirl, The Jungle Book), Levi Kreis (A Very Sordid Wedding, Don’t Let Go), Luke Colombero (Operation: Neighborhood Watch!, The Pretty One) and Perry King (The Day After Tomorrow, The Hasty Heart) himself.
If the cast alone cannot impress viewers, Jana Brown’s genius writing can entrance anyone. Her compelling storytelling won ‘Best Foreign Feature,’ ‘Best First Time Screenwriter,’ ‘Best Modern Western Screenplay,’ ‘Best First Time Feature Filmmakers,’ and even International Independent Film Awards’ esteemed ‘Silver Award – Screenplay.’ It may be hard to believe, but The Divide is Brown’s breakout piece into the world of screenplay writing.
A graduate of Dartmouth College and a Boston Native, Brown spent many years of her career in the publishing and print industry before breaking into freelance content creation in 2015. Since taking on The Divide with Perry King, Brown has written two novels and has many new screenplays in the works.
Though Brown is not alone in her wild success as an industry-breakout member of The Divide, King found similar prosperity in both his portrayal of Sam Kincaide and as the director of The Divide. While he is an experienced actor and a veteran of the entertainment industry, The Divide is King’s first time being behind the camera. Not many directors are able to boast the success that King found directing The Divide—garnering awards like ‘Best First Time Director,’ ‘Platinum Remi Award for Best Western,’ ‘Silver Award, Narrative Feature,’ ‘Best Dramatic Feature,’ and ‘Debut Filmmaker Award’ along with many others.
King calls his film a “new film with old values.”; shot entirely in black and white, this modern western is a beautiful story of one man’s struggle with the various droughts in his life. “I can’t imagine [The Divide] being anything but black and white. The old black and white films, those are what I love the most.” King notes in a recent interview. Fans of films such as Hud or Lonely Are the Brave will appreciate King’s ability to embody the values of classic American westerns while combining modern cinematography techniques with the traditions of black and white filmmaking.
King’s own Northern California ranch highlights the stunning black and white cinematography of The Divide. This classic American western depicts a drought-plagued ranch in 1976 in Northern California in an area known only as “the divide.” The film follows Sam Kincaid (King) as he rages his battles against Alzheimer’s Disease, a harsh landscape, and a haunted past. When it becomes apparent that Sam’s struggle with his failing memory may be a losing one, Luke Higgins (Kaplan), a migrant ranch hand, contacts Sarah Kincaid (Sara Arrington), Sam’s estranged daughter, to come to the ranch and care for her father. Sarah’s arrival brings light to dark family history, and through the impactful acting, highlights the consequences of absence.
During the many droughts of The Divide, Sam seeks reconciliation with his daughter, Sarah’s son, CJ (Colembero), seeks a father figure, and Tom Cutler (Kreis) seeks to settle a score with Sam. All the while, Sarah remains as unrelenting as the drought ravaging the heart of Gold Country, the divide. Between an unforgiving land, an unforgivable tragedy, and an internal battle of unforgiveness set the stage for this film to strike its audience’s hearts and minds.
“Drought of the land, drought of your family and your personal life. And for this old man I play, drought of the mind,” narrates Perry King, director, and star of The Divide. King’s heart-wrenching tale of The Divide becomes an examination of forgiveness, or lack of, in many senses.
Awards are not the only thing The Divide has accumulated since its release. The Divide has accrued hundreds of glowing reviews like “Destined to become a neoclassic motion picture; through superb dramatic storytelling through pitch perfect acting, stark compelling black and white cinematography, and traditional noir style visual elements.” or “An uncommonly compelling and emotionally rich drama.” It comes as no surprise that The Divide launched King’s career into the directing world.
The Divide is available for streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Apple TV +, and Vudu!
