The East (2013 film)

The East
Theatrical release poster
Directed byZal Batmanglij
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRoman Vasyanov
Edited by
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byFox Searchlight Pictures
Release dates
  • January 20, 2013 (2013-01-20) (Sundance)
  • May 31, 2013 (2013-05-31) (United States)
  • June 28, 2013 (2013-06-28) (United Kingdom)
Running time
116 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.5 million
Box office$2.4 million

The East is a 2013 thriller film directed by Zal Batmanglij and starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, and Elliot Page. Writers Batmanglij and Marling spent two months in 2009 practicing freeganism and co-wrote a screenplay inspired by their experiences and drawing on thrillers from the 1970s. The American studio Fox Searchlight Pictures had bought rights to distribute Batmanglij's previous film Sound of My Voice and also collaborated with the director to produce The East. With Ridley Scott as producer and Tony Scott as executive producer, Fox Searchlight contracted Scott Free Productions, headquartered in London, to produce the film. The East was filmed in two months in Shreveport, Louisiana at the end of 2011. The film premiered to strong reviews at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2013. It was released in theaters on May 31, 2013.