Project Detail

Ballad of a Small Player

Ballad of a Small Player
Ballad of a Small Player
Ballad of a Small Player
Ballad of a Small Player

Synopsis

When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.
In his green velvet suit and kid gloves, with his pencil moustache and posh accent, Lord Freddy Doyle plays the part of the international high roller, living the lush life at a luxury hotel in Macao. But a closer look suggests Doyle’s situation is more desperate than it appears. He’s behind on his room payments, can’t find a casino that will give him credit, and he’s deep in debt to a dubious local character.
Doyle came to Macao because here, as a “foreign ghost” who no one knows, he can reinvent himself. But Cynthia Blithe knows who he really is - and what he’s running from. A sympathetic casino hostess may be able to help Doyle escape his mounting problems. But is there anywhere left for him to go? (TIFF 2025)
Official Selection Telluride Film Festival 2025 - World premiere
Official Selection Toronto International Film Festival 2025
Official Selection San Sebastián International Film Festival 2025 - European premiere
Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2025

Details

Year
2025
Type of project
Features
Running time
101 min
Director
Edward Berger
Producer
Edward Berger, Mike Goodridge, Matthew James Wilkinson
Executive Producer
Ellie Gibbons, Mark Nolting
Editor
Nick Emerson
Screenwriter
Rowan Joffe (screenwriter), Lawrence Osborne (based on the novel by)
Director of Photography
James Friend
Production Designer
Jonathan Houlding
Composer
Volker Bertelmann
Principal cast
Colin Farrell, Fala Chen, Deanie Ip, Alex Jennings,Tilda Swinton

Genre

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Germany, UK co-production

Good Chaos (UK), Nine Hours (DE), Stigma Films (UK)

Sales Company

Page updates

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