MUBI brings you a great new film every day.  Start your 7-day free trial today!
Watch a new film every day for $4.99.
Try MUBI for FREE.
Learn More
 

The Island

Bulgaria, Sweden

2011

110 Min
Color
2.50:1
Bulgarian, English, French
  • Currently 2.8/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

   |   

DIR Kamen Kalev

EXEC Elitza Katzarska, Stela Pavlova

PROD Anguel Christanov, Kamen Kalev, Fredrik Zander

SCR Kamen Kalev

DP Julian Atanassov

CAST Thure Lindhardt, Laetitia Casta, Bojka Velkova, Rousy Chanev, Mihail Mutafov, Luben Dilov-Son, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Elli Medeiros, Petar Popyordanov, Olivier Claverie, John Laskowski, Bertille Chabert

ED Åsa Mossberg, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

PROD DES Denitza Katzarska

MUSIC Jean-Paul Wall

SOUND Momchil Bozhkov

Cannes (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs)

Synopsis

Sophie and Daneel, both in their early thirties, are a close and passionate couple living in Paris. Sophie initiates a surprise journey to Bulgaria. Daneel explicitly refuses to go, but Sophie insists and finally convinces him to leave. When they arrive, Sophie discovers that Daneel was born there…

After a few hours spent on the crowded beaches, Daneel leads Sophie to an almost abandoned island lost in the Black Sea. Once there, Daneel discovers pregnancy tests in Sophie’s luggage. The heat and the strange few inhabitants soon alter their own behaviors, and the island slowly reveals hidden fears that question their love. To get through it all, they have to take a leap into the unknown. –Quinzaine des Réalisateurs

Director

Original

Kamen Kalev

Kamen Kalev graduated Femis Film School in Paris in 2002, and has directed numerous shorts and commercials. In 2009, his first feature, Eastern Plays, was selected in Cannes’ Quinzaine des Realisateurs. Among his recognitions are the awards for directing and the Jury Award from Bratislava International Film Festival, Best Film and Best Director from Tokyo International Film Festival (along with Christo Christov’ s Best Actor Award for his part in Eastern Plays), Best Film from Warsaw Film Festival, as well as a nomination for LUX 2009 by the European Parliament. The Island is his second feature. –Quinzaine des Réalisateurs 

Wall

Displaying 4 of 7 wall posts.
see all
Picture of lautrededor

lautrededor

29Dec12

What is Jodorowsky doing at the start of this film?! An overall disappointment.

Picture of -Firebird

-Firebird

31Jul12

In the past 20 years a whole generation started abandoning Bulgaria searching for better life elsewhere.Their children may be part of the globalized folk but remain orphans in a way. Lindhardt is great portraying Daniel, an immigrant, who returns back to his roots.The feeling that Daniel doesn’t belong anywhere is smothering him and turns the holiday into an existential and rather absurd trip in search of lost self.

stoyanov and rado like this

Picture of stoyanov

stoyanov

19Jan12

I honestly believe the Island is the first Bulgarian film of its kind. Kalev's French touch is evident throughout the film. Thure Lindhardt was mesmerizing.

-Firebird and rado like this

Picture of msmichel

msmichel

22Oct11

FNC '11 What begins as a somewhat interesting story of a woman discovereing she doesn't really know who here husband is degenerates into an examination of personal identity in a 'reality tv' setting. The overacting of Thure Lindhardt sinks the picture and the film runs out of ideas early on.

Related Films

Face

Face

Not-here-to-be-loved

Not Here to Be Loved

Rue-des-plaisirs

Rue des plaisirs

Zift

Zift

The-goat-horn--2

The Goat Horn

After-the-end-of-the-world

After the End of the World

Parallels

Parallels

Guilty--2

Guilty

Fans

Displaying 5 of 14 fans.
see all
Picture of rado

rado

Picture of Classroom Battles

Classro​om Battles

Picture of Massimo

Massimo

Picture of RenkaBenka

RenkaBe​nka

Picture of Vytautas Katkus

Vytauta​s Katkus

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

Wrapping Cannes 2011. Directors' Fortnight

By on June 1, 2011

To follow up on yesterday's roundup of Un Certain Regard remainders... "The Tati-inspired dance trio of Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, and

read article
W184

Cannes 2011. Directors' Fortnight Lineup

By David Hudson on April 19, 2011

Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy's La Fee (The Fairy) will open this year's Directors' Fortnight on May 12 and Bouli Lanners's Les

read article

Cannes 2011: An Alejandro Jodorowsky Sighting In The Trailer For Kamen Kalev's THE ISLAND

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
While I’m certain that the loyal cult of Alejandro Jodorowsky would rather see the maverick director behind the camera than in front of it, well, we’ll have to take what we can get. And while the director
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

Lists

Displaying 5 of 15 lists.
see all

Reviews

No reviews yet — Write the first

Forum

Displaying 0 discussion topics.
start the first topic