Legendary German actor Udo Kier is an international, hell, global treasure. He’s worked with auteurs like Gus van Sant, Werner Herzog, Lars von Trier, Dario Argento, Guy Maddin, Paul Morrissey, and lately, up-and-coming would-be auteurs like Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho have been tapping his exotic skills (also have you ever looked up how many acting film credits Kier has? Cause holy sh*t). American director Todd Stephens wisely has done the same in “Swan Song,” an eccentric drama about a formerly flamboyant hairdresser who takes a long walk across a small town to style a dead woman’s hair.
Starring Udo Kier, the film also features Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie, Ira Hawkins, and Stephanie McVay. The film made its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival last year. Our reviewer Jason Bailey described the film as a film “about performers, and they shine. Kier, of course, is wonderful, reveling in the opportunity to play all sorts of emotions.”
READ MORE: ‘Swan Song’: A Slight But Sweet Vehicle For Living Legend, Udo Kier [SXSW Review]
Here’s the indie’s official synopsis:
SWAN SONG follows retired hairdresser and local bar performer icon Pat Pitsenbarger (Kier), who has given up on life from the confines of his small-town Sandusky, Ohio, nursing home. But when Pat gets word that a former client’s dying wish was for him to style her final hairdo, he sets out on an epic journey across Sandusky to confront the ghosts of his past – and collect the beauty supplies necessary for the job. SWAN SONG is a comical and bittersweet journey about rediscovering oneself and looking gorgeous while doing so.
“Swan Song” is available in theaters on August 6 and on-demand on August 13 via Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing. Watch the new trailer below.