POSTMARK PARADISE New Directions From American Independents

In his warm and unpredictable feature debut, director Thompson E. Clay takes us to Paradise, Michigan to find out what happens to mail-order-brides.

In Paradise, a big night out for the guys means hanging at the local bar and reading mail-order-bride catalogs for fun. One night, the regulars decide to give something special to their pal Jake, a notorious drunk and womanizer. Their “gift” is Viktoria, a beautiful Russian girl who wants to find a rich, successful American husband. Although America is hardly what she expected, Viktoria and the townspeople learn from each other through unexpected depths and friendships.

Russian star Natalia Nazarova, who also contributes several songs to the soundtrack, is a luminescent presence. The cinematography by Charles Peich is the “tenth character,” complementing the narrative with insightful images of Everyman’s “Small Town, USA.”