EFF: Reedland

Rietland

Australian Premiere

“A work of great visual beauty set in a highly sophisticated mise-en-scène that contrasts perfectly with an almost documentary-like capture of the environment.” – Cineuropa

While out working in the fields, ageing Dutch reed cutter Johan finds the body of a young girl, lifeless amid the dense, whispering reeds. As the devoted grandfather to a similarly aged girl, Johan becomes fixated on the tragic discovery.  Overwhelmed by an ambiguous sense of guilt, he resolves to find the girl’s murderer – if it is indeed a human that’s responsible.

Reedland is the impressive feature debut from writer/director Sven Bresser, whose lead actor, Gerrit Knobbe, is a real-life reed cutter. Knobbe delivers a remarkable performance for a non-professional actor, his weather-worn face and stoic expression belying a spectrum of complex emotions as Johan trudges deeper and deeper into the dark muck of this rural mystery. The foreboding natural landscape – shivering reeds, pelting rain and swirling smoke from brush fires – heightens the sense of an ever-present, unknowable danger in this slow burn thriller that will keep you guessing right until its final moments.

Festivals & Awards

Academy Awards 2026 - The Netherlands’ submission for Best International Feature Film
Cannes Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection, Critics’ Week
Budapest International Film Festival 2025 – Winner, Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award
Busan International Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection

Rating

Unclassified 18+

Duration

111 min

Country

Netherlands, Belgium

Language

Dutch (English subtitles)

Cast

Gerrit Knobbe, Loïs Reinders

Director

Sven Bresser

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