Mumbai, September 6, 2006… This Friday night, Star Movies presents some thrilling entertainment! Based on a real kidnapping that took place in Netherlands, this movie marks the directorial debut of Academy Award nominated producer, Pieter Jan Brugg. Starring Robert Redford, Helen Mirren and Willem Defoe, tune in to the exclusive premiere of The Clearing, this Friday night, September 8th at 9 p.m. only on Star Movies.

Wayne (Redford) and Eileen (Mirren) Hayes live the American Dream. Together they've raised two children and struggled to build a successful business from the ground up. But there have been sacrifices along the way. When Wayne is kidnapped by an ordinary man, Arnold Mack (Defoe), and held for ransom in a remote forest, the couple's world is turned inside out. Eileen finds her home full of FBI agents, their life under scrutiny. While Wayne is engaged in the negotiation of his lifetime, Eileen works frantically with the FBI to secure his release. The terrifying ordeal causes Wayne and Eileen to reassess their marriage and come to a deeper sense of their commitment to each other. With each passing hour, the need and desire for Wayne to return home safely becomes ever more urgent.

Dutch born film producer Pieter Jan Brugge, with films like The 'Insider' and 'Bulworth' to his credit, used the kidnapping of a Dutch industrialist as inspiration for his first film as director, 'The Clearing'. This is not a film that screams tension, it has thriller ingredients but it's more concerned with the texture of relationships and the texture of life. It has some powerful and committed performances by Robert Redford and So don't forget to tune in the exclusive premiere of The Clearing, this Friday, September 8th, 2006 at 9 p.m. only on Star Movies.