Dara Van Dusen’s debut feature film A Prayer for the Dying, about an epidemic in a small town in Wisconsin in the 1870s, has been invited to the Perspectives competition at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Perspectives is the Berlinale’s competition programme for feature debuts and was established for the 2025 edition of the festival. Participation means that Dara Van Dusen and A Prayer for the Dying are eligible for the Best First Feature Award, which carries a cash prize of 50,000 euros to be shared between the producer and director of the winning film. The producers of A Prayer for the Dying are Dyveke Bjørkly Graver and Andrea Berentsen Ottmar of Eye Eye Pictures AS.
“That A Prayer for the Dying has been selected for the debut competition in Berlin is a significant recognition of Dara Van Dusen’s distinctive cinematic voice and the collective artistic effort behind the film. It is also a confirmation of the strong producing expertise at Eye Eye Pictures, which in recent years has distinguished itself internationally — both as co‑producer of Affection Value and as main producer of Armand and Sick of Myself, both of which premiered in Cannes. Together, these accomplishments demonstrate the strength and breadth of the Norwegian film industry, even when filmmakers draw stories from entirely different eras and places and see their debut film invited to one of the world’s major film festivals. We are proud to have supported this project and look forward to seeing the film meet an international audience at the Berlinale,” says Kjersti Mo, Director of the Norwegian Film Institute.
Screenwriter and director Dara Van Dusen’s debut feature A Prayer for the Dying takes place in the town of Friendship, Wisconsin, which in 1870 is struck by a sweltering and destructive summer. Jacob Hansen, a former Civil War hero, carries dark memories he cannot leave behind. Seeking to atone for the past, he has taken on the roles of sheriff, pastor, and undertaker in the small town. When a deadly epidemic breaks out, everything is put at risk. The disease spreads rapidly, and Jacob must fight to protect both the town and his own family. Each decision becomes a choice between evils, and the memories of the war threaten to break him. A Prayer for the Dying is a powerful and unsettling story about faith, family, and community — and what happens when everything we take for granted is put to the test.
The cast includes John C. Reilly, Johnny Flynn, Gustav Lindh and Norwegian actor Kristine Kujath Thorp.
Dara Van Dusen is originally from New York, studied at the Polish National Film School in Łódź, and now lives in Oslo. Her short film Significant Others was screened in the short film competition at Cannes in 2008.
“I’m thrilled to premiere A Prayer for the Dying at the Berlinale! Having my debut film included in such a prestigious festival is more than I could have hoped for, and it’s exciting to finally share the film with an audience,” says director Dara Van Dusen.
“A Prayer for the Dying is a challenging and ambitious debut film, shaped by Dara Van Dusen’s unique directorial vision. It has become a hard‑hitting experience that we have long been eager to share. That the film is now taking its first step into the world at the Berlinale feels entirely right, and we look forward to celebrating with everyone who made this possible,” says producer Dyveke Bjørkly Graver of Eye Eye Pictures AS.
The film has received NOK 12,000,000 in production funding from the Norwegian Film Institute through its scheme for artistic assessment of feature film projects.
The 76th Berlin International Film Festival takes place from 12 to 22 February, where A Prayer for the Dying will have its world premiere in the Perspectives section.
The Sámi feature film Árru, directed by Elle Sofe Sara, will have its world premiere in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival.
The opening film of this year’s Berlinale is No Good Men, directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat, with Norwegian co‑production by Motlys and Ingvild Sæther Berger.
Manager International Relations, Feature Films
