An enigmatic slow-burning drama set in a rural community
In the rural Dutch countryside, reed cutter Johan discovers the body of a young girl on his marshland property. Burdened by an inexplicable sense of guilt, he begins investigating the murder while caring for his granddaughter. As he navigates his close-knit community searching for answers, Johan becomes increasingly obsessed with uncovering the truth behind the violent crime.
Sven Bresser’s atmospheric debut examines isolation and the inscrutability of human motivation in a stark landscape, with languid shots of the marshland lending a hypnotic, slow-burning sense of foreboding. A meticulously composed and confident first film.
“For audiences looking to take a step up from standard Scandi-noir murder fare on TV while staying firmly within the realm of accessible narrative cinema, “Reedland” is an outstanding discovery.”
Catherine Bray Variety 16/05/2025
Semaine de la Critique - Cannes, 2025, fr
Special Mention of the Jury for Best Cinematography, Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival, 2025, ua
Sven Bresser
Sven Bresser is a Dutch filmmaker based in Amsterdam. He graduated with honours from HKU University of the Arts, where his student film Cavello won the VERS Jury Prize and the Tuschinsky Award for Best Student Film at the Netherlands Film Festival. His short film The Summer and All the Rest (2018) was nominated for Best Short Film at the Chicago and Venice film festivals, and won the Golden Calf for Best Short Film at the Netherlands Film Festival, Best International Short Film at the Quebec City International Film Festival, Best Director at Lviv International Film Festival Wiz-Art, and Best International Short at Festival Tous Courts. Reedland (2025) is his feature-length debut.
