Mercy

by Matthias Glasner

An emigrant family wants to make a new start on the coast of the Arctic Sea. Instead, a terrible accident calls everything into question. What role does guilt play in our happiness?

Polar night at the edge of the Arctic Sea – for two months the sun doesn't rise above the horizon. In a magical twilight, amidst snow and ice, a family of German expatriates hopes for a new beginning: Niels (JÜRGEN VOGEL), Maria (BIRGIT MINICHMAYR) and son Markus (HENRY STANGE). But soon after they arrive, Niels and Maria sense that their new surroundings will not be able to save their withering relationship. Niels throws himself into his work as an engineer – and into an affair. Maria does overtime at the hospice, and Markus struggles with puberty and his new fellow students. But then one night a terrible accident occurs that changes everything. The coldness in their hearts subsides and, miraculously, the tragedy becomes a turning point for all three family members: the secret shared by Maria and Niels forces them to confront their lives – and leads them on the path towards redemption and mercy.

Genre / Language / Length
Drama / German, English, Norwegian / 132 minutes
Original title
Gnade
directed by
Matthias Glasner (THE FREE WILL, THIS IS LOVE)
produced by
Schwarzweiss Film, Knudsen & Streuber Medienmanufaktur, ophir film, Neofilm, ZDF and arte
Cast
  • Juergen Vogel (THE WAVE, THE FREE WILL)
  • Birgit Minichmayr (3 DAYS IN QUIBERON, DOWNFALL)
  • Henry Stange
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Press Quotes

“Mercy is beautifully shot and features sterling performances…”
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL

“The outstanding Berlin competition entry”
TAGESSPIEGEL

„Mercy is elevated to bigscreen status by the sheer level of craft on display.”
VARIETY

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