The Darien Gap

This indie comedy from innovative director Brad Anderson (Happy Accidents, The Machinist) is a richly entertaining account of a twenty-something slacker’s desperate trip South to photograph a Giant Sloth and finally make his fortune. Lyn (Lyn Vaus), a young man who still feels traumatized by his parent's two-decade old divorce, is trying to get to Patagonia. Unable to afford the usual transportation he decides to hitchhike. Unfortunately, he gets as far as Panama and then finds himself faced with 80-mile Darien Gap, a gigantic swamp which he must somehow cross. While slowly pondering his plight, Lyn finds solace in the arms of hat-designer Polly Joy who tries to inspire her sluggardly lover to become a more lively fellow. From IFC Films, The Darien Gap was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival and won a Best Director award for Brad Anderson at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.