Ghosts of the Sea
Virginia Tangvald’s moving investigation into her family’s dark legacy begins with an Aristotle epigraph, “There are three kinds of people, the living, the dead, and those that go to sea.” The film goes on to define what the philosopher meant as Virginia follows the twin strands of the sailors in her family, her father, Norwegian adventurer Peter Tangvald, and her older brother Thomas. Peter, constantly circumnavigating the world in his handmade boat, cast a long shadow over Thomas. Tragedy, perhaps some of his own making, followed Peter and stalked Thomas, determinedly following in his father’s wake. Luminous cinematography of sky and open sea emphasizes the beauty of sailing life despite its hardships. Armed with her father’s logs and photographs, archival footage of his travels and of Thomas’s, and interviews with those that knew them, Virginia poignantly comes to terms with these men with restless spirits, happy only on the water.
Director/s
Virginia Tangvald
Virginia Tangvald
Born in the Caribbean Sea, VIRGINIA TANGVALD grew up in Montréal where she studied theater and classical guitar, before turning to filmmaking. After graduating from Institut national de l'image et du son in 2015, she made several short films and videos for Montréal bands. Ghosts of the Sea, exploring the life and legacy of her father, adventurer Peter Tangvald, is her first feature documentary based on her book of the same name.
Expected Guests
VIRGINIA TANGVALD: Director