09/04/2024 - Swann Arlaud, Woody Norman, Alma Pöysti and Ruaridh Mollica star in the helmer’s second feature, which is being produced by Haut et Court

Actors Swann Arlaud (© Fabrizio de Gennaro/Cineuropa), Woody Norman, Alma Pöysti (© Marica Rosengård) and Ruaridh Mollica (© Yellowbelly)

On 12 February, French-US director Vladimir de Fontenay kicked off the shoot for Sukkwan Island, his second feature, following Mobile Homes [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (unveiled in the 2017 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight). Standing out among the cast of this English-language film are France’s Swann Arlaud (winner of the César Award for Best Actor in 2018 for Bloody Milk [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hubert Charuel
film profile] and Best Supporting Actor this year for Anatomy of a Fall [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Justine Triet
film profile]), young Brit Woody Norman (nominated for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in 2022 for C’mon C’mon), Finland’s Alma Pöysti (nominated for the European Film Award and the Golden Globe for Best Actress in 2023 for Fallen Leaves [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile]) and Scottish-Italian thesp Ruaridh Mollica (who gave a strong performance in Sebastian [+see also:
film review
interview: Mikko Mäkelä
film profile] at this year’s Sundance Film Festival).

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Adapted by the director himself from the novel Legend of a Suicide by US author David Vann, the story revolves around a young man who heads off to a secluded and hostile island to rekindle memories of his father. Ten years beforehand, they shared an experience that profoundly altered the course of their lives.

Produced by Carole Scotta and Eliott Khayat for Haut et Court (which will take care of the French theatrical distribution), Sukkwan Island is being co-produced by Norwegian outfit Maipo Film, Belgian firm Versus Production and the UK’s Good Chaos. Also on board as co-producers are Finland’s Aurora Studios, Norway’s Fjordic Film and Filmfond Nord, Belgium’s Proximus, VOO-Be TV and RTBF, as well as France’s Proarti. Other sources of support include the Brittany region, Creative Europe – MEDIA, the Norwegian Film Institute, the Inver Tax Shelter, the Global Screen Fund and Curzon. The 25-day shoot (which will take place in Norway and Scotland) will wrap on 1 June, with Amine Berrada (Banel & Adama [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ramata-Toulaye Sy
film profile]) serving as DoP.

As a reminder, Haut et Court currently has Drone by Simon Bouisson and Nino dans la nuit by Laurent Micheli (see the article) in post-production, among other films.

(Translated from French)