In this formally inventive historical drama, acclaimed American filmmaker Rob Tregenza delves into the moral complexities of World War II and the fluid nature of history and its representation. 

Set in occupied Norway, The Fishing Place follows Anna Kristiansen (Ellen Dorrit Petersen), a housekeeper who arrives in rural Telemark to work for a German priest. She was imprisoned by the Nazis during their occupation of Norway, so when Norwegian Nazi officer Aksel Hansen facilitates her release, it comes with a heavy price. Anna is sent to the hydroelectric town of Notodden to spy on Adam Honderich, a German High Church Lutheran minister suspected of resistance activities. As the priest struggles with his faith in the face of power’s corruption, Anna is forced to confront her own secrets through clandestine meetings with a local SS officer. Struggling with the moral ambiguity of her mission, she must navigate a rapidly shifting, brutal war environment while facing a looming deadline, seeking any hope of redemption, and in the meanwhile, the minister/priest spends his time fishing.

Tregenza, known for his remarkable debut Talking to Strangers (1988), which caught the attention of Jean-Luc Godard and led to their collaboration on Inside/Out (1997), brings his distinctive visual style to this nuanced portrayal of the war’s impact. Having also served as the cinematographer for Béla Tarr’s Werckmeister Harmonies (2000), Tregenza’s trademark philosophical depth challenges conventional war narratives, creating a poignant meditation on human nature and offering a meta-commentary on cinema itself. Tregenza’s film intricately explores the tension between duty and morality, survival and resistance, in a world torn apart by war. (text courtesy of MoMA).