Net of Lies (film)

Net of Lies Borish: Þet net op lighen
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Erick Wÿck
Written by	Yan Foarman Petera Fisher
Screenplay by	Yan Foarman Gunda Mylo Petera Fisher
Story by	Petera Fisher
Produced by	Truda Wÿck Alice Toulro Alexander Dylman
Starring	Yonas Newman Yana Branten Tom Hëmecker Peter Muyeler Anna-Beþ Ranawer
Cinematography	Arþur Granaw
Edited by	Alyena Yensën
Music by	Anton Mylo
Production company	Studio Newestead
Distributed by	Borishe Cinematographië
Release dates	6 April 2020 (2020-16-06) (Borland)
Running time	134 Minutes
Country	Borland
Languages	Borish, Estmerish
Budget	€5.3 million
Box office	€34 million

Net of Lies (Borish: Þet net op lighen [θət ˈnɛt ɔp ˈliːɣən]) is a 2020 Borish crime drama. It was produced by Erick Wÿck, starring Yonas Newman, Yana Branten, Peter Muyeler and Anna-Beþ Ranawer in leading roles, and Tom Hëmecker, amongst others, in supporting roles. The film portrays the lives of the individual members of a middle-class family from Newstead, with every family member having secrets (oftentimes criminal) that are hidden from the remaining family.

Plot

The Evermans are a family living in the suburban neighbourhood of Yaarden in Newstead. With their mid-century single-family home with small frontyard and medium backyard as well as their outward appearance, the Evermans represent the typical Borish middle-class family. Yoarfrëd Everman (Peter Muyeler) is the district manager of a company (unknown to the viewer) and his wife Tanya (Anna-Beþ Ranawer) organizes the neighbourhood women’s book club and sells ripoff perfumes, hygiene products and cosmetics as part of a pyramid scheme. Their children, Yens (Yonas Newman) and his younger sister Leya (Yana Branten), visit the same secondary school, but are in different grades.

The story is told from different angles: the points of view of each main character. Throughout the course of the film, the “dark secret” of each family member is shown to the viewer, starting with Yens, who, together with his best friend Yannick (played by Tom Hëmecker), has joined the local branch of an internationally operating gang, participating in the smuggling of drugs and other goods, as well aiding in the planning and execution of a scheme to kidnap a millionaire and his daughter, the former of which later turns out to be his father’s boss. After he recognizes Yens’ voice and threatens to expose him to authorities and his own family, Yens has a panic attack and runs outside, finding his father’s boss dead on the floor upon reentering. After hearing screams from another room, Yens and Yannick stop the violent rape of the now dead man’s daughter by another member of the gang by killing him. They bring her to the hospital, where they are arrested, but let go after Leya, who at that point is Yannick’s girlfriend, lies before the court.

Yoarfrëd seems like a successful, albeit overworked district manager. Quickly, the viewer is shown that he is cheating on his wife with his married secretary. He also is shown as corrupt on several levels, both taking bribes and bribing others. At the end of the film, it is hinted at the fact that his boss’ death caused an investigation that might lead to his illegal activities being uncovered. Tanya is a stay-at-home mum, though she has found a lot more freetime in the past years, with the increasingly long hours her husband stays at work and both her children growing up. This time, she has filled by leading the women’s neighbourhood book club, and more recently, by advertising and selling the products of her very own pyramid scheme. Soon, however, the viewer discovers that these are just covers for her drug dealing. She narrowly escapes getting caught by police by virtue of appearing like an average middle-class mum that “would never do something like this”.

Until she falls in love with Yens’ friend Yannick, Leya is the only character not dealing with criminal activity. Then, she is mostly kept out of serious affairs, though she is aware of many procedures that are going on within the gang. After the arrest of Yens and Yannick, her first real crime is to lie to both the police, and later the court, about the activities of Yens and Yannick. It is not explained whether or not their acquittal goes at the cost of someone else.

Although these four plot lines are heavily intertwined both in terms of the story they tell as well as how they tell it, there is one rough line that goes through the film, starting with the view of a cliché-family to the introduction of the crimes and how they are kept a secret from the others, and later, how some of the lies of the family members fall apart, while many other lies are not toppled during the runtime of the film.

Cast

Casting for Net of Lies started in late 2018. Allegations geared towards Erick Wÿck connected towards several actors being casted by virtue of being personal friends, or related to such. The members of the “Everman” family have been casted first, with Peter Muyeler as the father of the family (Yoarfrëd “Fred” Everman), Anna-Beþ Ranawer as the mother (Tanya Everman), Yonas Newman as their son (Yens) and Yana Branten as their daughter (Leya). Tom Hëmecker stars as “Yannick”, the criminal best friend of “Yens” and lateron boyfriend of “Yana”.

Production

Filming

Net of Lies is set completely within Newstead city limits, where a majority of scenes have been filmed. Some scenes, however, have been filmed in Yuilegh instead. In particular, all scenes in abandoned warehouses were filmed in an industrial area in southern Yuilegh. Filming included the following locations: The scenes inside the family home and in the canalization were filmed at sets at Newstead Studios, while the scenes outside the house were filmed in several locations in the Yaarden neighbourhood in western Newstead. The secondary school that the children of the family and their friends visit is the Yohan-Stÿr-Skole in Sufferden.

Sound design

Although there are a few songs in Net of Lies, music is not used extensively to underline the tone of any given scene. In fact, the music used in the credits and during the party scenes appears in a direct contrast to the general tone of the film.
In the beginning, static noises can be heard to a black screen, before snippets of various songs of differing genres and decades can be heard, with a sound quality reminiscent of old radios or gramophones. During the roll credits, the first of the songs from the beginning is picked up again, but played from beginning to its end, after which, the remaining credits are not accompanied by music. The only scenes in which music is featured inbetween these two occasions are party scenes, where a variety of electro-pop songs are played.

Net of Lies makes extensive use of noises that are not, strictly speaking, musical in nature, as well as silence in order to convey emotions.

Visual design

The visual design of the film is notable for its colour usage: cold colours with a low saturation dominate the film.

Reception

Net of Lies was heavily criticized by many inside the country for its portrayal of violence and crime. It was accused of the glorification of violence and drug abuse. Due to the graphic scenes (especially ones including sex, death and/or torture), parents’s organizations across the country have called for its rating to be raised from 14/16 to 18, many even calling for its boycott or cancellation.

See also

81st Montecara Film Festival