In less than a decade’s worth of output, Iceland’s Hlynur Pálmason has already established himself as a major auteur among European filmmakers — he burst onto the international scene with his raw portrait 2017’s Winter Brothers (a Locarno and TIFF selection) and he solidified his voice with 2019’s A White, White Day, a gripping and poignant tale of grief that became a standout in Cannes’ Critics’ Week, earning critical acclaim (read ★★★½ review). This momentum culminated in the 2022 epic Godland, which was officially selected for Cannes’ Un Certain Regard (and we made the argument should have been a competition film). The film confirmed Pálmason as a possible Cannes mainstay as this year he showcased the Cannes Premiere selected The Love That Remains. A fascinating filmography to date with shorts sprinkled along the ride, his last effort is the 62-minute film titled Joan of Arc (which takes the bow and arrow excerpts in The Love That Remains) had its world premiere just a couple of days ago in the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section at the 73rd San Sebastian Film Festival. His fifth feature film moved into production this month. Here is Everything We Know So Far … about Hlynur Pálmason’s On Land and Sea.
It was meant to potentially be his fourth feature, but the smaller, more contained film The Love That Remains slightly changed the output order. Filming was originally set for autumn of last year. Arte France are onboard. The film received Eurimages coin and would have moved into production this past month.
This will follow the life of a family which, at the turn of the 19th century, transforms its house into a raft and goes looking for a new place to live.
Pálmason will likely work with some players he has worked with on his previous works.
Behind the lines people have not been identified yet, but we would not be surprised if Cinematographer Maria von Hausswolff joins the project and it’s safe to assume that producer Anton Máni Svansson is also involved.
Depending on the shooting schedule and scope, we think this could be in contention for a Palme d’Or slot in Cannes, however, Locarno or Venice and Toronto are just as likely.
