Two Years at Sea

After a few years working at sea, Jake Williams decides to follow his dream: a secluded life in the Scottish woods. In Two Years at Sea, Ben Rivers' first feature film, Jake is followed through the seasons in black and white cinemascope. 

His days pass slowly, filled with eccentric projects and simple routines. He collects materials, builds a raft, carpenters a tree house and wanders through misty fields where he sometimes falls asleep. Through wind and weather, he walks contentedly through the forest, as if connected to nature. Words are superfluous; light and shadow tell the story. This intriguing portrait of a self-sufficient loner shows the poetry of a sober existence and the radical choice to live completely isolated from society.

The documentary Two Years at Sea won a FIPRESCI prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2011 and was nominated for a Cinéma du Réel Award. The film has already been screened at the IFFR and IDFA, and this year, together with Bogancloch (2024), director Ben Rivers' sequel to Two Years at Sea, it can also be seen at the Northern Film Festival. 

Combination ticket Would you like to see both Two Years at Sea and Bogancloch? You can with an affordable combination ticket. You can purchase it here.