follows its protagonist by weaving in and out of a hallucinatory world. Beginning its story through the eyes of Biholar's mother, a woman who survived Auschwitz only to watch his long, slow spiral into disintegration, the film then explores Biholar's cycles of lucidity and delusion as he seeks redemption in religious, spiritual and philosophical writings -- between hits of his drug of choice and interactions with his beloved pet bird.
"It comes in and out of reality," said director Miller in a telephone interview from his home in Cupar. "It's like you're doing drugs, without having to do drugs."
During a recent production session, one editor told Miller that in this film, 'reality is the effect.'
"He said, 'There's so much craziness, when you go back to reality, that's the shockingpart,' " Miller recalled.
While Miller wrote, directed and produced the film, his wife and longtime filmmaking partner Elaine Pain served as executive producer.
"When this film began nine years ago, I didn't have grey hair and I had my own teeth," Pain said in a written statement for media. "Life has not been normal since."
For Miller, the completion of Dark One has been an obsession and odyssey that has left him emotionally and physically exhausted. A recovering addict who still deals with occasional cravings himself, he has spent innumerable days in the company of his friend, watching Biholar's drug-induced trances and --- perhaps more painfully -- filming his moments of clear-eyed awareness, regret and scarred wisdom.
"It's been a hard one to make," he said.
Initially, Miller intended only to produce