INTRODUCTION

BBC Films and The Film Consortium present Kismet Film Company's Close Your Eyes, starring Goran Visnjic alongside Shirley Henderson, Miranda Otto, Paddy Considine and Corin Redgrave.

Inspired by the book DOCTOR SLEEP, by Madison Smartt Bell, Close Your Eyes is a chilling psychological thriller written by William Brookfield and Nick Willing. Directed by Nick Willing and produced by Michele Camarda, it was shot during the summer of 2001 on location around London.

Hypotherapist Dr Michael Strother (Visnjic) has a dangerous gift; he gets flashes from the inside of his patients' minds. Whilst trying to help a police detective stop smoking, he sees in her mind an image of a young girl floating below the surface of a stream. He is soon caught up in the detective's pursuit of a ritualistic killer who believes he has found the secret of immortality. Although the girl has managed to escape from the killer, she has been struck mute by her trauma and the only clues are weird visions trapped in her mind. Only Michael can help release her memories, and provide a clue as to the whereabouts of the killer.

Goran Visnjic is probably best known for his portrayal of Dr Luke Kovac in the hit US hospital drama ER. Visnjic's film credits include the critically acclaimed The Deep End, co-starring with Tilda Swinton, Michael Winterbottom's Welcome to Sarajevo, Practical Magic, alongside Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman and Committed, co-starring with Heather Graham. An established actor in his native Croatia, Visnjic won the Croatian Best Acting Award for his title role in the theatre production of Hamlet.

The cast also includes Shirley Henderson (24 Hour Party People, and The Claim both directed by Michael Winterbottom, Bridget Jones's Diary) Paddy Considine (East of Harlem, 24 Hour Party People, Last Resort, A Room for Romeo Brass) Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings, Human Nature) and Corin Redgrave (Enigma directed by Michael Apted, Four Weddings and a Funeral, directed by Mike Newell).

Director Nick Willing's credits include the award winning Photographing Fairies, starring Ben Kingsley, Toby Stephens and Emily Woof, for Polygram Films. In addition he directed the Emmy Award winning Alice in Wonderland, starring Miranda Richardson, Gene Wilder and Whoopi Goldberg, and Jason and the Argonauts, with Dennis Hopper and Derek Jacobi (both for Hallmark/ NBC).

Through her company Kismet Films, Michele Camarda produced the recently released Born Romantic (directed by David Kane), Michael Winterbottom's Wonderland, This Year's Love, directed by David Kane and Willing's Photographing Fairies.

LONG SYNOPSIS

Hypnotherapist Doctor Michael Strother has a dangerous gift: he has flashes of visions from his patients' minds. Whilst trying to help Detective Janet Losey give up smoking, he sees in her mind a young girl floating below the surface of a stream. Losey is working on a case where a young girl, Heather, has disappeared. When she is found several days later, she has been struck dumb by whatever trauma she has endured. The only clue could lie in the mysterious markings on her arms.

Orthodox police investigation has failed so far, and so Losey enlists Michael's help, hoping that he can coax the girl to speak. When she does, she utters gibberish, which Michael eventually realizes is some kind of incantation.

At home, Michael's pregnant wife, Clara, warns her husband not to become involved. Michael and Clara, with daughter Martha, have left their home in America after Michael's hypnosis of a young swimmer led to the boy's death. Michael is haunted by guilt, and suffers insomnia.

Via the internet, Losey contacts Elliot, owner of a bizarre game shop. His knowledge of arcane religions leads him to recognize that the words spoken and the symbols on Heather's arms are associated with ancient liturgies. Elliot recommends that they read the work of Professor Catherine Lebourg.

In the crypt of a derelict church, two young boys find symbols and bloodstains which the police identify as connected to the previous murders. Elliot tails Losey to the church and leaves a message with Clara that he has information, but when Michael and Losey visit Elliot's shop, the killer has been there before them. Elliot is dead.

A visit to Professor Lebourg, now the frail resident of an old people's home, leads Michael and Losey to investigate the arcane beliefs of a 16th Century religious fanatic, who was eventually burned at the stake. One of his later followers, Edward Lippard Smith, was an architect who built churches in London.

Michael feels he is being followed. His commitment turns to obsession, and he suffers hallucinations and flashbacks. As he tracks the killer, he becomes aware that the killer is tracking him, and he fears for the safety of his wife and daughter in their own home.

Heather is kidnapped from the safe house where she was being held. The police fire Losey from the force and Michael from the case. He and Losey investigate the Lippard Smith churches, identifying two that have changed use, and so were missed by the police investigation.

Michael explores one church building, now converted into a block of apartments. His suspicions are aroused by activity in the basement and he asks for help from one of the residents. As he is about to call the police, the young man stuns him with a blow to the head. He regains consciousness to find himself strapped to a kitchen table, attached to a contraption that is drawing his blood. He has walked into the killer's sanctum.

Suddenly, Professor Lebourg is in the apartment. She explains to Michael how she plans to cheat death.

Michael is left alone, but realizes that Heather is in the room, constrained in a wicker basket. He manages to hypnotize her, and she escapes to loosen his bonds.

Michael wrestles with his captor and the two crash through a window to the ground, just as Losey arrives. Inside the apartment they find Heather by the side of Lebourg, who is slumped in a chair; the professor's throat slashed.

Months later, Michael and Clara, with daughter Martha and their new baby, meet up with Losey and Heather and her mother. As Heather bends over the baby, Michael experiences a sense of foreboding.