Christian Bonke’s feature debut, Hercules Falling, which world-premiered in the First Feature Competition of the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, is a story about war and post-traumatic stress disorder that won’t leave viewers unmoved. In fact, its strong emotional power will linger long after the end credits have rolled.

What makes Hercules Falling captivating in terms of its directing is that the director has opted for a combination of reality and fiction, setting it in a real veteran rehabilitation retreat on the remote Danish island of Strynø. Most of the movie was, in fact, shot at this facility run by Anne-Line Ussing and her husband, Stuart Press, who was diagnosed with PTSD ten years after serving in the Australian Army. In the fiction, one of the veterans is Youssef (wonderfully played by star Dar Salim), who has served in Afghanistan and Iraq. After a near-fatal incident at home, he joins the group to learn how to control his anger and mend the relationship with his family.

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Thanks to its powerful script, written by Bonke together with Marianne Lentz, the film allows us to discover the inner struggles of a man in a very realistic and believable way. The vulnerable side of men involved in war and violence, who are usually portrayed as strong, especially in ways tied to traditional masculinity, is not something we see that often. There are indeed portrayals of war veterans, especially coming from the USA, but even when showing PTSD, they have a tendency to adopt an overly triumphant air. Hercules Falling, on the other hand, is an emotionally brutal depiction of the real consequences of war.

In fact, men in general find it hard to talk openly about their feelings or their mental health, as society often teaches them to stay quiet and not disclose their true emotions. Because of this, speaking honestly about what they are going through not only feels difficult, but can also feel like something they are not even allowed to do, as if struggling is something they should hide deep down instead of addressing out in the open. The title of the film perfectly expresses this concept, by talking about the mythological figure of a hero who is not allowed to fail but, instead, shows the signs of a struggle. This theme has recently been broached by social media in a healthier way, while at the same time, it still remains partially unexplored by films and by more traditional media in general.

Denniz Göl Bertelsen’s editing paces the narrative in a way that allows viewers to connect with the main character while still being able to appreciate and enjoy the brisk rhythm, which could have been much slower in someone else’s hands. Bonke’s work is still a tough watch, and it is definitely not going to be a heartwarming favourite that will win over different audiences. But it feels like that was not the intention, and we should definitely be grateful for that.

Hercules Falling is a co-production by Denmark's Beo Starling and Germany's Heimathafen Film. Its world sales have been entrusted to Reinvent Yellow.