Finalist
In the Light of the Sands
Liivamadala valguses
2026
Entry 26-680 | Germany | 2026 | 75’ | Language: English
German
French | Subtitles: English
Estonian
Original title: Im Licht der Sandbank
As a bird warden, Kilian spends seven months alone on a barrier island in the North Sea. His tasks are simple: monitoring wildlife and collecting flotsam. The rich birdlife, extreme weather and ever-changing landscape are conveyed both through imagery and a soundtrack of wind, rain and birdsong. Contact with others is rare, but the intrusion of the outside world is all the more striking. Whilst climate change threatens the island, messages from his relatives in war zone echo in the solitude. Through his slow-paced observations, the island becomes a mirror for much larger turmoil.
Director
Kilian Helmbrecht
| Cinematography
Kilian Helmbrecht
| Editing
Maja Tennstedt
| Composer
Lorenz Fischer
| Producer
Alex Hasskerl
| Production Company
Atara Film
| Distributor
Atara Film
| Original Title
Im Licht der Sandbank
2026
The audio-visual language on this film immerses us in the isolated rhythms of the place, while news from the outside world reminds us that some tragedies demand our attention, while others unfold quietly and barely noticed. A poignant and fresh exploration of relationships between life and landscapes, across space and time. This is a beautiful observational film that transports us to an island of birds with a single human inhabitant.
| Director | Kilian Helmbrecht |
| Cinematography | Kilian Helmbrecht |
| Editing | Maja Tennstedt |
| Composer | Lorenz Fischer |
| Producer | Alex Hasskerl |
| Production Company | Atara Film |
| Distributor | Atara Film |
| Original Title | Im Licht der Sandbank |
| Entry Number | 26-680 |
| Country of Production |
Germany
|
| Year of Production | 2026 |
| Running Time | 75’ |
| Language: | English German French |
| Subtitles: | English Estonian |
