The John Sayles Collection (3 DVD)

This boxset brings together three early films from John Sayles, one of the foremost American Independent directors working today. Never before available in the UK, these films are characterised by their nuanced observations, humanity and irrepressible sense of independence, forming the foundations of Sayles' illustrious career. 

Lianna: In this moving and compassionate film, Sayles presents a sympathetic, realistic portrait of Lianna, a young wife and mother who leaves her husband for another woman and embarks on a turbulent journey of self-discovery. Lianna must face the anger and confusion of her husband as well as the raised eyebrows of her community. But when her new lover also rejects her, she faces the most difficult task of all: She must learn to love herself. 

The Return Of The Secaucus Seven: In this his directoria debut, John Sayles looks at seven friends who reunite ten years after their radical college days for a dramatic, poignant and revelatory weekend. Return of the Secaucus 7inspired the later hit film The Big Chill and heralded the arrival of a brilliant new force in independant cinema. 

The Brother From Another Planet: In this offbeat fantasy tale, Sayles takes a look through the eyes of a black extraterrestrial (Joe Morton) who crash-lands on Earth - in Harlem - and is taken in by the regulars of a local bar. The alien changes everyone he meets on his journey through the streets of Urban America. But can his message of brotherly love resonate with the intergalactic bounty hunters trying to track him down?