'The Son And The Sea'

Source: Toronto

‘The Son And The Sea’

EXCLUSIVE: UK filmmaker Stroma Cairns’ feature debut, The Son And The Sea, has been picked up for international sales by Paris-based MMM Film Sales ahead of its world premiere in Toronto’s Discovery strand.

The film will go on to have its European premiere in the New Directors section at San Sebastian Film Festival later this month and a UK premiere at BFI London Film Festival in October. 

It follows two young men, Jonah and Lee, as they embark on trip to the Scottish coast, while Jonah endeavours to escape a messy life in London. Upon arrival, they meet a young deaf man wrestling with the fallout of his twin brother’s actions. This chance encounter deepens into a transformative connection, as the three men navigate what it means to grow up.

Cairns’ brother Jonah West stars alongside his real-life best friend Stanley Brock and Connor Tompkins. Many of the cast are deaf and first-time actors, with Cairns casting directly from people in her life. The film shot on location in the village of Pennan.

The Son And The Sea is produced by the UK’s In The Company Of and New York-based Studio Cloy. It was developed with BBC Film and financed by BBC Film, alongside Moment Film Group and Creativity Capital.

In The Company Of is a family-led production company founded by mother-daughter duo Imogen West and Cairns, who also co-wrote the script together.

Studio Cloy was founded by former Netflix exec Kelly Peck, with executive producer credits on The Brutalist and Last Swim.

London-based Cairns’ previous credits include short If You Knew, which drew on her own experience with hearing loss, and premiered at Sheffield Doc Festival in 2019. She directed episodes on BBC TV series Mood, which won the Bafta for best mini‑series in 2023. 

Stroma Cairns

Source: Laurie West

Stroma Cairns

“The  biggest challenge in this film was the personal journey I had to go on,” said Cairns. ”It’s because the themes are so personal to me that I felt reluctant to go on that journey. However, now, I am so grateful to the experience of making this film and to my co-writer, and mum, Imogen West, who is an incredible collaborator and storyteller. We have made a very special film that I am so proud of…. It felt freeing to be with the people I trust, and I think that freedom affected the rest of the crew.”

Cairns continued, “I hope audiences will come away feeling uplifted, and with the understanding that connection is important, to one another and to oneself. I want them to know it’s possible to find joy despite loss.”

“Cairns captures young masculinity with nuance and empathy, delving into the emotional undercurrents of intimacy, fragility, and vulnerability,” said the MMM Film Sales team. “The film unfolds with a quiet authenticity, finding beauty in unlikely places, while offering a profound exploration of self-awareness and connection. It’s a bold and poetic story that will resonate deeply with audiences and is sure to make a lasting impact on both the festival circuit and beyond.”

Executive producers are Eva Yates, Max Fisher, Patrick Fischer and Jennifer Eriksson.

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