One of the most serene, tranquil tales of the last few years is German director Jonas Bak’s Wood and Water, a 16mm-shot feature that picked up an award upon its Berlinale premiere and stopped by ND/NF and BFI London, among other fests. With KimStim setting an NYC premiere at MoMA on March 24, an LA and national release to follow, we’re pleased to debut the trailer.
Led by Bak’s own mother, Anke Bak, the film follows her newly retired character who seeks to reconnect with her son Max, who lives in Hong Kong. Heading from Germany to this region of China, she embarks on a solo journey of soul-searching and connection.
As Glenn Heath Jr said in his ND/NF review, “Germany’s mountainous Black Forest region and Hong Kong Island couldn’t be more dissimilar in terms of terrain. Yet, Jonas Bak’s debut film Wood and Water spiritually connects these two epic spaces for a retired church administrator named Anke (played by the filmmaker’s own mother) entering a time of great transition. Not surprisingly, one of the film’s most important dialogue sequences ends with someone noting, ‘It’s funny how things coincide.'”
Watch the exclusive trailer below for the film also starring Ricky Yeung, Alexandra Batten, Patrick Lo, Theresa Bak, Patrick Shum, Edward Chan, Susanne Johnssen, Lena Ackermann, Amy Aceituna, and Christel Johnssen.
Wood and Water opens in New York at MoMA on March 24 with a Los Angeles and national release to follow.