Mermaid (Havfrue)

Sisilie Skagen is about to become the new captain of the fishing boat she has inherited from her crusty seadog father Bjørn, whose eyes stare at her from a tattoo on her forearm. As she navigates her relationship with her dad, will she manage to find her own feet as a fisherwoman? Interpolating the fishing action with Sisilie and Bjørn’s discussions about their profession and their family relationship, the film explores the daily grinds, joys and hazards of fishing folk’s lives on the wild north-Norwegian coast. The result is a compact miniature of brisk empathy, celebrating and showcasing a traditional industry through the prism of two representative but idiosyncratic individuals. It is a subtle and strikingly visual story of passing the baton.