‘The 11th Green’ to open June 26 at Cinema Art Theater

After the loss of his estranged father, an investigative journalist begins to unwind a tangled web that stretches from Earth to the great beyond. 

“The 11th Green,” a new film by writer and director Christopher Munch, will open Friday, June 26, at the Cinema Art Theater near Lewes. The drama explores how much the U.S. government truly knows about extraterrestrial beings, proving timely following the real-world declassification of UFO footage by the U.S. military earlier this year.

The film follows Washington, D.C. journalist Jeremy Rudd, played by Campbell Scott, who appeared in “House of Cards,” “Roger Dodger,” and “The Amazing Spider-Man,” along with former President Dwight Eisenhower, played by George Gerdes, who appeared in “Hidalgo,” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” as they simultaneously discover proof of life beyond Earth’s solar system.

When Rudd’s father, a high-ranking member of the military, passes away, Rudd is granted access to video proof that the U.S. had face-to-face contact with extraterrestrial beings 50 years earlier. While struggling to figure out what to do with this information and avoiding those that may want it, Rudd finds himself falling for his father’s assistant Laurie, played by Agnes Bruckner. 

Parallel with Rudd’s story, former President Eisenhower speaks to the current president, played by Leith Burke, who is portrayed to closely resemble Barack Obama. In a dreamlike plane, Eisenhower discusses how he met the aliens and how the information fell into the wrong hands, allowing for government secrecy and nefarious actions to take place. 

“[Munch] loves topics that we all have opinions on but no evidence to back it,” Scott said in an interview on June 22. “Every one of his films are well researched, and he dives into these subjects that are usually passed over or are dealt with in a cursory way.”

“The 11th Green” tackles this unexplainable phenomenon in a way that’s equally research-based and avant-garde. While the overarching story of Rudd is simple in concept, the movie continues to speak in abstract ideas, causing the audience to question the possibility of alien contact actually existing.

“I love the historical things thrown in that keep you grounded,” Scott said. “Nothing is ever exactly as it seems. If history is truly written by the winners, then the winners’ emotion has to impact that. History isn’t something that’s concrete; it’s liquid, and it’s interesting to play with that concept.”

The story’s metaphysical moments and execution prove to be a unique take on both the art of storytelling and those pesky flying saucers. 

For more information and tickets for screenings, visit www.rehobothfilm.com.