THE ISLANDS AND THE WHALES

UNITED KINGDOM 81 MIN

RUSSIAN PREMIERE

ABOUT

In the remote Faroe Islands, an archipelago located halfway between Norway and Iceland, inhabitants have been in tune with their environment for millennia. With a rugged landscape not suited for farming, they have relied on the sea for their survival, enjoying a traditional diet of seabirds, pilot whales and fish. But when they are faced with rising mercury levels in their food, as well as the clamor of international animal-rights activists, the Faroese may be forced to change their ancient ways.

DIRECTOR

MIKE DAY

A 2014 Sundance fellow and a 2015 recipient of the San Francisco Film Society’s Documentary Film Fund grant, Scottish director and cinematographer Mike Day transitioned from a legal career to documentary filmmaking in 2009. His previous film, The Guga Hunters of Ness (2011), also set in the North Atlantic, screened at international festivals as well as on the BBC.

OTHER FESTIVALS

• HotDocs — Emerging International Filmmaker Award, Canada 2016 
• DOC NYC — Grand Prix, USA 2016 
• Reykjavik International Film Festival — Best Documentary Award, Iceland 2016 
• AFI DOCS, USA 2016 
• San Francisco International Film Festival, USA 2016 
• BAFTA — Nominated for best single Documentary BAFTA Scotland 2016 
• CPH:DOX Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, Denmark 2017 
• DOCVILLE International Documentary Film Festival, Belgium 2017 
• Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival 2017, Greece 2017 
• RiverRun International Film Festival, USA 2017 
• Irvine International Film Festival — Best Documentary Feature Award, USA 2017

SECTION

Main Competition 2017