On a barren island, a mother and son must confront years of silence and misunderstanding in writer-director Hanna Slak’s atmospheric fourth feature, that brims with tension and cleverly combines a chamber thriller with introspective family drama.
When orchestra conductor Nina’s (Maren Eggert, I'M YOUR MAN GFF21) teenage son Lars (Jona Levin Nicolai) is injured in a strange accident at school, she decides to take a break from city life and her orchestra rehearsals to be completely there for him. For five days, she and Lars will head from Munich to an island in western France where they usually spend their summer vacation. A place imbued with fond family memories, the island in winter is no paradise, but instead windy, dark and cold.
In the small beach house, mother and son are forced to face each other. While thoughts of music and her career haunt Nina, Lars withdraws further every day. Misunderstandings multiply, suspicions arise, and when a winter storm cuts the last connection to the mainland, a dangerous confrontation ensues.
OFFICAL SELECTION – Berlin International Film Festival 2023
OFFICIAL SELECTION – Toronto International Film Festival 2023
WINNER – Ecumenical Jury Award, Warsaw International Film Festival 2023
"A compelling and efficiently moody thriller."
- The Film Verdict
Tuesday 7th May
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87 min
CTC
Maren Eggert, Maryam Zaree, Jona Levin Nicola, Juliane Siebecke, Mehdi Nebbou
Hanna Slak
Film Festival
German, French with English subtitles
Palace Balwyn Cinema, Palace James Street, Palace Barracks, Palace Norton St, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Pentridge Cinema, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Electric, Palace Byron Bay, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Central Sydney, Palace Moore Park, Kino Cinema, Palace Raine Square