Injustice at gunpoint: Gus Van Sant’s "Dead Man’s Wire" in program
An outsider in Hollywood, and at the same time Hollywood’s envoy among outsiders. If, by some magic, the American Film Festival could take human form, it would probably be Gus Van Sant.
His career mirrors the AFF’s spirit and program: a unique creator, a master of stories about the wounded and the marginalized (My Own Private Idaho), yet also a regular at international festivals (Cannes awards for Elephant) and the author of Hollywood classics (Good Will Hunting, Milk). We’re therefore all the more thrilled to announce that his latest film, Dead Man’s Wire—a gripping fusion of thriller and revenge cinema—joins the lineup of the 16th AFF (November 6–11), and that Gus himself is moving into our suburban community as a Next Door Neighbor.
Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Al Pacino, Colman Domingo, Cary Elwes—this is the constellation of stars Van Sant has gathered for Dead Man’s Wire. The best and most rewarding way to see them (and many others) at the AFF is with a festival pass or accreditation. Sales continue until October 17 or until the pool runs out.
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Next Door Neighbor: Gus Van Sant
This year's AFF visual identity is set to the rhythm of American suburbia, and we’re introducing the next stars of the festival program as residents of our American dream neighborhood. Richard Linklater looks after the myth of the suburbs (we’re showing three of his films), the magnetic Josh O’Connor has become the European troublemaker next door (also in three productions), and Lynne Ramsay (Die My Love) adds a strong dose of darkness. Gus Van Sant, meanwhile, will be our peculiar neighbor: both the voice of outsiders and a socially engaged artist, attuned to class, economic, and cultural inequalities. Most importantly, he’ll bring spirited conversation to every neighborhood meeting—few can speak about weighty and complex matters with such verve, passion, and the kind of energy that his younger colleagues can only envy.
Dead Man’s Wire: injustice at gunpoint
There are two kinds of Gus Van Sant films (Restless, 3rd AFF): the deeply auteur (Elephant, Gerry) and the more “Hollywood” (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester). Dead Man’s Wire belongs to the latter, though it marks a rare foray into the thriller genre. As in Milk and Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (9th AFF), the story is based on real events. In 1977, Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) entered the office of banker Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery), fastened a wire connected to a sawed-off shotgun around his neck, and demanded compensation for the fraud he claimed to have been a victim of. Van Sant rewinds to this tense moment in history to expose the arbitrariness of capitalism and the real estate market (a theme even more relevant today), all to the sound of the era’s pulsating soul music. The director also gives a nod to film buffs, referring to Sidney Lumet's legendary Dog Day Afternoon—the films share a similar fictional starting point, both taken from real life, and the same type of protagonist: a desperate attacker who, through the media, gains public favor. We even have Al Pacino in the cast—this time, however, on the other side of the capitalist barricade. A symbolic echo of the collapse of 1970s ideals? (author of the description: Jakub Popielecki, translated by Barbara Feliga)
Dead Man’s Wire will be presented at the American Film Festival thanks to our partnership with Monolith Films, which will release Van Sant’s latest work in Polish theaters.
Join us for the 16th American Film Festival, November 6–11, 2025, at the New Horizons Cinema in Wrocław. The full program will be announced on October 21, and two days later—on October 23 at noon—tickets for screenings and online access will go on sale.
