
Tristan Forever
Tobias Nölle / CH, 2026 / 90 min.
A French doctor seeks to settle permanently on Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote inhabited island, portrayed by this documentary-fiction film with a hint of magical realism. Will he be accepted there? A fascinating quest for paradise on Earth.

Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world. This volcanic landmass is too steep for an airport, so anyone who wants to get there must make an approximately nine-day journey by boat. Parisian doctor Loran Bonnardot has been visiting the island for 30 years and plans to settle there permanently. Before he can do that, though, the Tristan da Cunha Island Council must approve his application. This means Bonnardot will have to spend a year proving that he can integrate into the close-knit community of some 230 men and women.
Is Tristan da Cunha really the utopia Bonnardot believes he has found, and will he ever truly be accepted? In this blend of documentary and fiction, Bonnardot delves into a world that sometimes seems like a dream. With his inseparable companion, a penguin, he finds his way through the wilderness and the easygoing community of Tristan da Cunha. But even paradise is not without its troubles: archival footage of the evacuation of Tristan da Cunha residents in 1961, when the volcano erupted, fits seamlessly into this extraordinary story about isolation and belonging.
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Details
Director
Tobias Nölle
Production year
2026
Country
CH
Length
90 min.
Language
English
Subtitles
NONE
Format
DCP
Part of
IDFA 2026
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is once again bringing an exciting selection of the world’s best documentaries to Eye this year, from 12 through 22 November.



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