Jonah is a young man who’s a bit lost. He doesn’t quite know what’s happening with his life, drowns his sorrows in alcohol and vents his frustration by picking fights with people who don’t deserve his anger. He is the main protagonist of The Son and the Sea, Stroma Cairns’ first feature, screening in the New Directors section of the 73rd San Sebastián Film Festival after world-premiering in Toronto’s Discovery strand. Aware of the senseless spiral he’s caught in – and spurred on by his friend Lee, who is going through his own crisis after a breakup – he decides to travel to the Scottish coast to visit his elderly aunt and enjoy a change of scenery.

From the outset, the chemistry between the two leads is palpable. Their friendship feels genuine and deep, and much of the credit goes to Jonah West and Stanley Brock, who both make an impressive big-screen debut. Equally noteworthy is the screenplay by Cairns and Imogen West. With admirable assurance, they build an emotional journey in which every character is portrayed with sensitivity and profound respect. The film blends the fury and disenchantment of anxious, directionless youth with the delicacy and wisdom revealed on this voyage of self-discovery – and the discovery of those around them.

When they reach the small Scottish town, the two friends stay at Jonah’s aunt’s house. The woman has recently traded this charming home for a retirement residence. In this seemingly bleak setting, some of the film’s most beautiful scenes unfold. The tenderness the young man shows in every interaction with her is inevitably moving, and it reveals his true nature to the viewer – a far cry from the violent drunk we see in the opening scenes. At the end of the day, that is what The Son and the Sea is about: the complexity of human emotions, and the depth and strength of the bonds that can form between the most unlikely people.

On their improvised trip – fleeing from God knows what and in search of God knows what, exactly – the two friends meet people who change their outlook on life. Chief among them is Charlie, a deaf-mute young man visiting his twin brother in the town. It’s best not to reveal too much about the adventures the three share, since part of the movie’s charm lies in us being surprised alongside our protagonists, as they are jolted by the events of their journey. While that journey is not lacking in drama or bitter moments, it’s always shot through with a vibrant energy that culminates in several emotional climaxes where the comic and the tragic join hands with startling naturalness — just as they do in the real life of any human being.

The Son and the Sea is a production by In the Company Of, with the collaboration of US outfit Studio Cloy. MMM Film Sales handles the international sales.