The Avant-Gardener

In a quiet, unassuming town, a reclusive artist named Eleanor dedicates her life to tending an extraordinary garden that mirrors the eccentricities of her inner world. When a determined journalist arrives to uncover the secrets behind her peculiar horticultural practices and rumored magical properties of her plants, Eleanor is forced to confront her past and the true nature of her creation. The film blurs the lines between reality, art, and nature as Eleanor's garden becomes a canvas for her complex emotional landscape.

The Avant-Gardener was a niche film that polarized critics and audiences. While some lauded its unique visual style and thematic ambition, others found its pacing slow and its narrative opaque. It garnered significant attention within experimental film circles and art house communities, with praise often directed at its originality and Thorne's distinct directorial vision.

• Visually stunning with a unique artistic sensibility.

• The film's deliberate pacing and abstract narrative may alienate some viewers.

• A thought-provoking exploration of art, nature, and the human psyche.

Google audience: Audiences appreciated the film's artistic merit and creative storytelling, often highlighting its beautiful cinematography and unique concept. However, a segment of viewers found the movie to be too abstract and slow-moving, wishing for a more conventional plot.

Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (2017), Won 'Best Experimental Film' at the Berlin International Film Festival (2017).

The elaborate garden featured in the film was entirely constructed for the movie over a period of six months, with over 50 different species of plants used to create its surreal and symbolic aesthetic.