Two more remarkable films enter the Crystal Globe Competition today in the Grand Hall. At 5:00 p.m., the program features Rebuilding, followed at 8:00 p.m. by the emotionally charged drama When a River Becomes the Sea.
Premiering internationally at KVIFF after its debut at Sundance, Rebuilding tells a story of quiet resilience and the healing power of community. The film follows Dusty (played by British star Josh O’Connor), a soft-spoken man whose ranch – like many others in the Colorado wilderness – has just been lost to wildfire.
“Dusty is a character who discovers that renewal isn’t just about rebuilding structures, but about transforming ideas – from the inside out. He has to learn that just as places change, so can people. He can be more than a rancher; he can also be a father, a neighbour – and that’s enough. Sometimes we need to lose something in order to realise what we already have. So no, this isn’t a disaster movie. It’s a film about what comes after: love, care, community, and the desire to do things better,” says director Max Walker-Silverman, who returns to KVIFF three years after presenting his lyrical romance A Love Song.
Catalan director Pere Vilà Barceló returns to KVIFF thirteen years after competing with The Stoning of Saint Étienne (2012). His sixth feature, When a River Becomes the Sea, tackles the painful subject of violence against women. The story centres on an archaeology student who, with the support of her father and professor, begins the slow, complex journey of reclaiming her life after a sexual assault – while also reckoning with how that trauma has affected those around her. Shot over a period of eight years and running nearly three hours, the film breaks from traditional cinematic structures to offer a powerful and unconventional drama.
