The Islands and the Whales (2016)

In their remote home in the North Atlantic the Faroe Islanders have always eaten what nature could provide, proud to put local food on the table. The land yields little, so they have always relied on harvesting their seas.

Hunting whales and seabirds kept them alive for generations, and gave them the way of life they love; a life they would pass on to their children. But today they face a grave threat to this tradition.

It is not the controversy surrounding whaling that threatens the Faroese way of life; the danger is coming from the whales themselves.

The Faroese are among the first to feel the affects of our ever more polluted oceans. They have discovered that their beloved whales are toxic, contaminated by the outside world. What once secured their survival now endangers their children and the Faroe Islanders must make a choice between health and tradition.

Highlights:
FINALIST – Best Documentary Feature – Heartland Film Festival 2016
WINNER – Emerging International Filmmaker Award – HotDocs 2016
NOMINATED – Best Single Documentary – Scottish BAFTA 2016
NOMINATED – Best International Documentary – HotDocs 2016
NOMINATED – Best International Documentary Film – Zurich Film Festival 2016
NOMINATED – Best Documentary Feature Film – Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016
OFFICIAL SELECTION – San Francisco International Film Festival 2016
OFFICIAL SELECTION – American Film Institute Docs 2016

Reviews:

“Mike Day’s gorgeous and complexly woven The Islands and the Whales carefully dissects the delicate situation unfolding in the Faroe Islands” – IonCinema

“The Film is as thought provoking as it is beautiful to behold” – Independent Critic

Links:
Official Website
IntrepidCinema

To arrange a screening please contact: festivals@scotdoc.com