British filmmaker Clio Barnard follows ‘The Selfish Giant’ and ‘The Arbor’ with aa searing and eloquent Yorkshire set drama exploring the fragility of familial relationships. Inspired by Rose Tremain’s novel Trespass, Dark River follows two siblings as they struggle to come to terms with their inheritance, following the death of their father.
Following the death of her father, Alice (Ruth Wilson) returns home to Yorkshire for the first time in 15 years, to claim the tenancy of the family farm she believes is rightfully hers. Once there she encounters her older brother Joe (Mark Stanley) a man she barely recognizes, worn down by years of struggling to keep the farm going whilst caring for their sick father. Joe is thrown by Alice’s sudden arrival, angered by her claim and finds her presence increasingly impossible to deal with. Battling to regain control in a fraught and fragile situation, Alice must confront traumatic memories and family betrayals to find a way to restore the farm and salvage the bond with her brother before both are irrevocably lost.
Irish release date is February 23, 2018