BFF25: Anemone

Australian premiere

From first-time feature director Ronan Day-Lewis comes Anemone, a haunting, resonant exploration of fractured kinship and the trauma that lingers across generations. Co-written with his father, Daniel Day-Lewis, who makes his return to the screen after an eight-year hiatus, this film is as much a personal reckoning as it is a dramatic revelation.

Set in the mist-shrouded woods of Northern England, Sean Bean’s Jem ventures from suburban life into the forested isolation of his estranged brother Ray (Day-Lewis), a man burdened by a traumatic past and lost to the world. Their reunion ignites a delicate dance of accusation, remembrance, and the fragile hope of redemption.

With painterly cinematography by Ben Fordesman, a taut and lyrical score by Bobby Krlic, and a supporting cast including Samantha Morton and Samuel Bottomley, Anemone is a boldly intimate, emotionally charged drama anchored by Day-Lewis and Bean’s mesmerising performances.

A cinematic homecoming and a fearless creation, Anemone probes the chasms between fathers, sons, and brothers with unflinching clarity.

OFFICIAL SELECTION | New York Film Festival 2025
OFFICIAL SELECTION | BFI London Film Festival 2025