A tale of survival, and death?

One man’s incredible courage and endurance provides Icelandic director Baltasar Kormatur with the framework for this harrowing dramatisation of a real life event from March 1984 that defied belief.

Twenty-four-year-old Gulli (Olafur Darri Olafsson) is an oafish, overweight resident of the remote Westman islands, who drinks and eats to excess.

Like many of his neighbours in the 5,000-strong community, he is a fisherman, heading out to the North Atlantic in appalling conditions in order to keep the local economy afloat.

One fateful day, the boat, the Breki, capsizes in the freezing waters, and Gulli tries in vain to save chums Palli (Johann G Johannsson) and Hannes (Bjorn Thors) from a watery grave.

Alas, Gulli is the only person to survive and, against the odds, he manages to swim for hours and then stagger over ice-laden rocks to seek medical assistance.

Scientists are stunned by Gulli’s seemingly superhuman feat and the world’s media descends on the island.

Meanwhile, Gulli looks for glimmers of hope in the eyes of his father (Theodor Juiusson) and mother (Maria Siguroarsdottir) in order to make sense of the tragedy.