This film is part of Rentals
Iona
Scott Graham’s follow-up to Shell follows a woman whose return to a Scottish island arouses dormant passions.
Director: Scott Graham
Overview
Following his acclaimed debut Shell, director Scott Graham returns with another story positing a wilful female lead amid the rugged beauty of the Scottish landscape. The title refers to both a Hebridean island and the young woman named after it (Ruth Negga - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), who is forced to return home after years away, following an implied violent upheaval.
But now she’s returning to the town she left as a teenager with an adolescent son of her own. And her reintroduction into the conservative, Christian community resurfaces festering recriminations and desires among the tangled web of family and friends she left behind.
Scott Graham’s script traverses its various characters’ intricate histories with subtlety and ambiguity, presenting an impressionistic collage of interconnecting dramas that feels closer to the texture of European art cinema than the traditions of British social drama.
Anchored by an arresting lead performance from Negga, Iona was selected as the closing film of the prestigious Edinburgh Film Festival in 2015.
Related
Sometimes I Think About Dying Sometimes I Think About Dying
Drama 2023 2 mins Director: Rachel Lambert
Daisy Ridley stars as a melancholic office worker who fantasises about her own death, in Rachael Lamberts wonderfully offbeat drama.
Our Mothers Our Mothers
Drama 2019 77 mins Director: César Díaz
As Guatemala confronts its violent past, a forensic anthropologist is tasked with identifying the dead, in this affecting Cannes prize-winning drama.
Stephen Stephen
Drama-documentary 2023 78 mins Director: Melanie Manchot
Artist Melanie Manchot’s debut feature is a visually striking film-within-a-film, exploring mental health and addiction.
Red Island Red Island
Drama 2023 117 mins Director: Robin Campillo
French writer-director Robin Campillo offers a searching exploration of memory and politics, in this boldly conceived story of boyhood in 1970s Madagascar.
Drift Drift
Drama 2023 93 mins Director: Anthony Chen
Cynthia Erivo delivers a captivating performance as a young refugee, who after fleeing war-torn Liberia finds hope when she meets a fellow lost soul.
Drifter Drifter
Drama 2023 79 mins Director: Hannes Hirsch
A scintillating portrait of a young man coming to terms with life, love, sex and relationships in contemporary Berlin.
Shell Shell
Drama 2013 87 mins Director: Scott Graham
In a remote part of Scotland, teenager Shell develops an intense relationship with her reclusive father.
Sometimes I Think About Dying Sometimes I Think About Dying
Drama 2023 2 mins Director: Rachel Lambert
Daisy Ridley stars as a melancholic office worker who fantasises about her own death, in Rachael Lamberts wonderfully offbeat drama.
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus
Documentary 2023 103 mins Director: Neo Sora
This moving tribute to the late composer and musician speaks volumes about his enormous talent, pioneering work and dedication to his craft.
Our Mothers Our Mothers
Drama 2019 77 mins Director: César Díaz
As Guatemala confronts its violent past, a forensic anthropologist is tasked with identifying the dead, in this affecting Cannes prize-winning drama.
Red Herring Red Herring
Documentary 2023 94 mins Director: Kitson Vincent
Following his terminal diagnosis, young filmmaker Kit Vincent sets out to document an intimate and darkly humorous journey in this BIFA nominated documentary.
Robot Dreams Robot Dreams
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 103 mins Director: Pablo Berger
Spanish director Pablo Berger delivers a rich and emotionally engaging dialogue-free animation about friendship, set in a bustling 1980s New York City.
Stephen Stephen
Drama-documentary 2023 78 mins Director: Melanie Manchot
Artist Melanie Manchot’s debut feature is a visually striking film-within-a-film, exploring mental health and addiction.