Wolfsbergen

Dysfunctional family dynamics lie at the heart of Nanouk Leopold's third feature, but her beautifully pared down approach brings a welcome silence and stillness to the crisis unravelling onscreen.

Elderly widower Koraad has decided not to live beyond the first anniversary of his wife's death, and writes to his offspring to tell them so. This provokes surprisingly little response initially, as his daughter and granddaughter are too absorbed in their own problems to face up to what is happening. Slowly, the implications of Konraad's intention begin to seep through the characters' isolation and, concentrating on small details and symbolic gestures, Leopold traces their search for intimacy and connection.

Moments of dark humour punctuate the film's austerity and restraint, to unexpectedly affecting result. Although the very quietness of the film might make it easy to overlook, its rewards are hinted at by the comparisons with Bergman, Sukurov and Tsai Ming-liang which Leopold has drawn.

Sandra Hebron