(c) PalaceFilms
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') 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.
Slak’s sonic and sophisticated storytelling pulsates to an unforgettable crescendo. Flanked by a haunting score by Amélie Legrand, the singular imagery of cinematographer Claire Mathon ('Portrait of a Lady on Fire', 'Spencer', 'Saint Omer') and a career-defining performance by Eggert, this is a formidable coup.
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