Christian returns to the place where he grew up when his estranged father marries the long-term housekeeper. He reestablishes contact with his former schoolmate and his family. Soon, old conflicts erupt, what has been repressed wants to come to light and Christian’s self-destructive impulses become directed at the outside. The secret that is shared by both families shall be unveiled at last and at all costs.
The Daughter is the debut film of actor, theater director and playwright Simon Stone, who was born in Switzerland in 1984 to Australian parents. After many years in Australia, the winner of the Nestroy award is currently the in-house director of the Theater Basel. The film is based on Stone’s own production of Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck at the Belvoir St. Theater in Sidney in 2011. The film shifts the character constellation and the social problems to contemporary rural Australia, where these frictions prove to be just as devastating as when they were first performed in Norway in 1884. Embedded in Stone’s confident handling of cinematic narration, the impressive performance of the outstanding ensemble of actors gives this story its sparkling soul. (as)
