EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Loran Bonnardot is the inheritor of a tradition that stretches back to the 1600s and even earlier – the European traveler who sets out to explore remote lands and sometimes elects not to go back.
The physician from Paris began visiting Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic – considered the remotest inhabited place on the planet – 30 years ago and at the age of 50 decided to relocate their permanently, if the island’s 230 residents would have him. His story is told in Tristan Forever, which holds its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Sunday.
Tobias Nölle and Dr. Bonnardot directed the documentary. We have your first look at it in the exclusive clip below.
Nölle’s credits include Preparations for a Miracle (2023), Aloys (2016/FIPRESCI prize, Panorama Berlinale), and the 2007 short René, winner of the Golden Leopard at Locarno.
“When Loran Bonnardot introduced me to the idea of making a film about his 30-year long relationship and history with Tristan da Cunha, the world’s remotest inhabited island, I was captivated: What drives a doctor from Paris to embrace such an isolated community and what compels these islanders to live so removed from the outside world?” Nölle writes in a director’s statement. “I saw in Loran a castaway from our hyper-competitive society, seeking an authenticity we’ve lost, on an island secluded from our war-torn world; a dream I wanted to transform into a cinematic experience. Loran became the collaborator and protagonist, his inner quest for belonging, 10,000 kilometers away from home, the emotional center of the film.”
The film follows Dr. Bonnardot as he attempts to integrate into society and find a literal and figurative home for himself. The documentary is interspersed with archive footage from 65 years ago when islanders were forced to leave Tristan da Cunha after a natural disaster.
“When I learned how the Tristanians were evacuated to England after a volcanic eruption in 1961,” Nölle writes, “only to reject the modern world and return to their volcanic rock, I saw striking parallels between Loran’s and the islanders’ journeys, deepening the themes of self-determination and freedom.”
Tristan Forever is a production of Hugofilm Features, in co-production with SRF, SRG SSR. The film is written and directed by Tobias Nölle and Loran Bonnardot and produced by Christof Neracher. Cinematography is by Nölle; Nölle and Aurora Vögeli edited the film. The score was composed by Michael Sauter.
Rediance is handling worldwide sales. In addition to Sunday’s world premiere, Tristan Forever screens at the Berlinale on Feb. 16, 17, 21 and 22.
In the clip below, Dr. Bonnardot appears to become lost while exploring a part of the island. Suddenly, he encounters strange nesting creatures.
English (US) ·