MAIN DRAMATIC COMPETITION “MAKING WAY”

THE SON AND THE SEA

2025 / 102 min / color

The Son and the Sea — the debut feature from Stroma Cairns, creator of the BAFTA Award–winning TV show Mood — premiered at TIFF. This tender coming-of-age drama pairs a magnificent soundtrack with the wild, windswept beauty of the Scottish coast. At the film’s centre is Jonah, a troubled young drifter who carelessly alienates the few friends he has. When he’s forced to visit his aunt with dementia, he sets off with his loyal mate Lee and stumbles onto two deaf twin brothers and a young boy living in a remote Scottish village, each of them quietly wrestling with internal struggles. Both poetic and strikingly naturalistic, the film treats its flawed characters with warmth and empathy. Set against a backdrop of spectacular natural scenery, the film becomes a reflective meditation on youth, emotional fragility and the need for human connection. It reminds us that everyone deserves understanding, patience, and space to find their own way.

• Festival del Cinema Europeo – Audience Award