Artists take what’s intimate and personal and transform it into art, but, especially for those who became famous for their work, it can feel challenging to tackle certain subjects, profit from it, and make it part and parcel of your artistic identity, especially when it stems from personal trauma. Things Behind the Sun depicts a rock singer who became famous on her song about rape. It’s a tad harrowing, and the flashbacks get rather graphic, but through focusing primarily on Sherry’s journey and not forcing forgiveness between the characters, Things Behind the Sun is able to capture what it means to survive the horrible, to confront it again, and to actually heal.
"Not the least astonishment in Things Behind the Sun is that much of it is remembered and imagined from the point of view of one of the rapists."
— John Leonard
A young music journalist's dark memories are awakened when he goes to interview a female rock singer, and both are forced to confront troubling secrets from their pasts.
Young LA-based music journalist Owen returns to his Florida hometown to interview hit local rock band singer Sherry, forcing the both of them to confront their troubled past.
Depicting rape isn’t easy because of having to strike a balance between depicting its horror without becoming too traumatic. Things Behind the Sun does sometimes falter in depicting that balance, and the emphasis on Sherry’s fertility is kinda weird, but it shines when it’s mostly focused on Sherry’s healing. That being said, Owen was coerced, and I wish the film acknowledged that.
It doesn’t depict it perfectly, but Things Behind the Sun is a depiction with a rare and unique angle.
Spirit Awards
3 nominations
Sundance
1 nomination
