John Dahl - Master of American Noir American film director and screenwriter John Dahl is an acclaimed master of the modern film noir who has injected new life into the genre. John has won critical acclaim and has a legion of fans drawn to his tough, atmospheric tales of double-crossing, murder, and adultery.

While at Montana State University, where he was a student of Bill Pullman, Dahl made his first feature, The Death Mutants, a horror/sci-fi send-up, for $12,000. After graduation he entered the director’s program at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He started his career as a storyboard artist (Something Wild, 1986; Married to the Mob, 1988) and assistant director (The Dungeonmaster, 1983), also making short films, including The Ugliest Family In The World, and directing music videos for Kool And The Gang and Joe Satriani.

He finally gained notoriety directing his first two films, Kill Me Again (1989) and Red Rock West (1992), taut, economic, modern noir stories. Originally acquired for TV distribution by HBO, Red Rock West received such acclaim on the festival circuit that it was picked up for theatrical release. The film showcased Dahl’s eye for atmospheric visuals and sharp sense of humour about the genre.

John’s third feature film, the crime thriller, The Last Seduction, was also intended for TV but the critical reaction ensured it a theatrical release and box-office success. The film starred his former college professor, Bill Pullman and Linda Fiorentino as the ultimate femme fatale. Unforgettable, though mauled by some critics, has built up a large fan base for Dahl’s audacious handling of the sci-fi elements.

With Rounders (1998), Dahl took the typically avoided subject of poker and used it to create a dark film about the seedy underground world of gambling. Starring Matt Damon as a reformed card shark and Ed Norton as his best friend recently released from prison, Rounders explored the seductive side of high-stakes gambling.

Dahl’s next movie, Road Kill (2001), known as Joyride in the US, continued his fascination with the noir-thriller. Once again, Dahl was praised by critics for his deft handling of the genre. For The Great Raid (2005), Dahl departed the noir landscape but brought his ability to handle big set-piece sequences to this gritty epic war movie.

We are delighted to welcome John Dahl to Cork for the screening of his latest feature, You Kill Me; to speak with audiences about his work and to conduct a Director’s Masterclass for young filmmakers. John Dahl’s films are themselves masterclasses in plot, characterisation and atmosphere. They are intelligent and playful explorations of genre and also hugely entertaining.