Sukkwan Island

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

On the remote Sukkwan Island, 13-year-old Roy agrees to spend a formative year of adventure with his father deep in the Norwegian fjords. What starts as a chance to reconnect descends into a test of survival as they face the harsh realities of their environment and confront their unresolved turmoil.

Sukkwan Island is the second feature by Vladimir de Fontenay, whose Mobile Homes debuted in the 2017 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. De Fontenay’s latest is a taut psychological thriller that blends elements of a survival film and father-son drama before reaching a surprising, poignant conclusion that artfully reorients the story. Although its striking photography captures the foreboding, desolate beauty of the wilderness, the film is propelled by phenomenal performances from three-time César Award winner Swann Arlaud (Bloody Milk, Anatomy of a Fall) and brilliant newcomer Woody Norman. Together they create a spellbinding depth and complexity to the gradually unfolding relationship: its tentative rapprochement, vulnerability, and the exchange that occurs as Tom tries to usher Roy into manhood. But as the situation intensifies, so too do Tom’s tangled emotions around the painfully unresolved breakup of his family.

Run time: 114 minutes

Language: English