“Every inch of the screen has been delicately considered with cinematographer Yoliswa
von Dallwitz packing raw emotion into every frame” - Jamie Neish, CineVue
A striking and enthralling drama set against the stunning backdrop of the Inner Hebrides island of
Iona, director Scott Graham’s follow-up to his award-winning debut feature Shell is a real delight,
with impressively sustained performances astutely complemented by the starkly beautiful environment.
Iona played by Ruth Negga (Love/Hate, Breakfast on Pluto, World War Z) and her teenage son Bull
(Ben Gallagher) seek refuge from a violent crime back on the island where she was raised. Her return
exposes Bull to the more gentle way of life she rejected when she left the island as a teenager
and also resonates amongst those friends she had once left behind. An impressive support cast also
includes Douglas Henshall, Tom Brooke, Michelle Duncan and Sorcha Groundsell.
The film has a gentle intensity – part coming-of-age story and part returning-home drama – and is
given real emotional resonance thanks to Ruth negga’s striking central performance combined
with Scott Graham’s sure hand and tangible sense of location. Iona is a beguiling and elegant film.
Edinburgh Film Festival
