45-year-old Kristian, otherwise known as Kesse (Henrik Birch), is a third-generation fisherman living in the small, windblown town of Hirtshals, in northern Jutland. As new fishery policies put pressure on local fisherman, Kesse struggles desperately to keep his head above water and his creditors at bay. Eventually he is forced to seek other ways to make ends meet, which in turn leads him to meet the marine biologist Gerd (Susanne Storm).

Despite obvious differences, they fall head over heels in love and Kesse is suddenly faced with the difficult choice of whether to continue fighting for the life he knows so well, or to start anew. Directed by Søren Balle (Denmark, 2014).

Special thanks to the Danish Film Institute.

Praise for The Sunfish:

“If you like realist comedy-dramas about fishing in Jutland, this is the film for you.”—The Hollywood Reporter

“A heartwarming romance. I highly recommend it.”—filmjabber.com

About the director

Danish director Søren Balle has a degree in direction from The National Film School of Denmark and a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies from Aarhus University. Balle made his feature film debut with Film Maker’s The Sunfish, which was nominated for both a Robert and Bodil for best Danish film in 2015.

Currently, Balle is directing several episodes of Danmark Radio’s drama series Bedraget, and TV2’s new crime series Norskov. He is also developing his next feature film, The World Champion, in collaboration with screenwriters Christopher Örnfelt and Joachim Nielsen.

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Image courtesy of the Danish Film Institute

FRI—5-20-2016—6:30 PM
$10 ($7 ASF Members)
100 min. | In Danish with English subtitles