A PRAYER FOR THE DYING

A PRAYER FOR THE DYING

Directed by Dara Van Dusen
Norway, Greece, UK, Sweden | 2026 | survival thriller | English

1870. Friendship: A small Wisconsin town, made up of Scandinavian settlers, is still suffering from the repercussions of the recent Civil War. So when faced with a new and even deadlier threat, one man is forced to make a harrowing choice: save his young family or defend the community that gave him a second chance at life and meaning.

Credits 

DirectorDara Van Dusen
ScreenplayDara Van Dusen
CinematographyKate McCullough (NORMAL PEOPLE)
Production DesignHubert Pouille (MANDY)
Production Company: Eye Eye Pictures
Co-production Companies: The Bureau, Garagefilm International, Film I Väst

From the producers of: THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD and SICK OF MYSELF

Starring: Johnny Flynn, John C. Reilly, Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh

Co-sales with Anton Studios

  • Dara Van Dusen
    Dara Van Dusen

Festivals & Awards

Berlinale International Film Festival – Perspectives – World Premiere

press quotes

“Johnny Flynn and John C. Reilly Face a Test of Moral Fiber in a Dazzling Debut”

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“an imposing, ascetic debut, braced by performances of formidable grit and commitment from Johnny Flynn and John C. Reilly.”

VARIETY

“Tense, tough and loaded with apocalyptic foreboding.”
“Flynn is great as the tormented sheriff.”
“Smart camera movement and a nerve-shredding score build relentless tension.”

TIME OUT

“Atmospheric and resonant with contemporary relevance.”
“A striking calling card for Dara Van Dusen.”

SCREEN DAILY

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Trailer

Presskit (PDF)

Dara Van Dusen

Dara Van Dusen is a writer and director from New York, currently residing in Oslo, Norway. She is the recipient of the coveted Norwegian Film Institute Fellowship, and has received numerous development and production grants from the Norwegian Film Institute. Her 2008 Short, SIGNIFICANT OTHERS competed in Cannes Official Selection. Her most recent short, THE BLIND MAN – an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s short story, – was nominated for Best Nordic Short and selected in the Nordic Panorama. After studying at the famed Polish National Film School in Lodz, she has split her time between developing her own material and working as a script supervisory across Film and TV.