A Matter of Life and Death

Director: Marc Munden

Year: 2026

Adapted from the 1954 novel by William Golding, the story of a group of young schoolboys who find themselves stranded on a Pacific island following a deadly plane crash during a nuclear war. In an attempt to remain civil, the boys organise themselves, led by Ralph and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy. But as the youngest members begin to share sightings of a terrifying beast, hunter Jack begins to wrestle for leadership. Jack Thorne’s adaptation marks the first time 'Lord of the Flies' has been brought to television. Faithful to the original novel, the series delves further into the book’s emotive themes: human nature, the loss of innocence and boyhood masculinity. Each of the four episodes is titled after a character at the core of the story – Ralph, Piggy, Simon and Jack – offering a subtly different perspective on the boys’ collective plight and manner in which they cope with their predicament. Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Berlinale Special Series - International premiere

Director: Hanna Bergholm

Year: 2026

With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga and her British husband Jon move to the isolated house deep in the Finnish forest where Saga spent much of her childhood. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurances of everyone around her, Saga knows something is terribly wrong. As their marriage starts to crack and Jon struggles to support his wife, only Saga suspects the disturbing truth about their newborn child. Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Competition - World premiere

Director: Charlotte Regan

Year: 2026

Twenty-two-year-old Shannon is the daughter of the dominant crime family in the area. Standing in the shadow of her father Dylan, she is desperately searching for romance and falls head over heels for Arran, a member of a rival crime family which has recently arrived in town. They develop a deep bond that changes both their lives for good, but not everyone around them is willing to accept it. While Shannon and Arran are pursuing their forbidden love, elsewhere things are imploding for Shannon’s family. However, rather than focusing on the crime world or the politics of succession, our gaze is directed towards the distinct emotional worlds of Shannon’s family – her parents Dylan and Cat, her older brother Luke and her indomitable grandma Ollie. Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Berlinale Special Series - World premiere