A pair of children befriend an eccentric old man, who lives isolated on the far shore of their island home. But it turns out that the old man knows a terrible secret about the island and the whales who sometimes come. Meanwhile WWI is making life hard in the village.
Acting
Paul Scofield's Birdman — unhinged, tender, absolutely ungoogleable energy.
Cinematography
Cornish coast so gorgeous you'll catch yourself planning a move.
Director
Clive Rees
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Adapted from Michael Morpurgo's 1985 novel — yes, the War Horse guy — explaining the signature 'animals witness human cruelty' DNA.
Shot on the Isles of Scilly, where real islanders still recall production crews disrupting their actual 1980s isolation.
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