Rory Kinnear learns to breathe underwater at KVIFF 2026
What does it take to navigate the crushing weight of grief and emerge from the deep, dark waters of depression? Is it a sudden burst of happiness, a new connection, or perhaps someone unexpected who acts as an anchor when you least expect it?
Learning to Breathe Under Water is the latest cinematic exploration of this profound human struggle. Directed by British filmmaker Rebekah Fortune, this film delves into the often-unspoken reality of life for fathers navigating a world that suddenly feels tilted and empty after loss. It firmly plants itself in the growing subgenre of cinema focusing on widowed dads—a category defined powerfully by films like Aftersun.
These stories are raw, honest examinations of men grappling with parenthood while their primary support system is gone. They explore the complex, often contradictory landscape of trying to maintain normalcy and seek light amidst profound emotional turbulence.
While other cinematic entries in this space offer a stark depiction of sorrow, Learning to Breathe Under Water manages to carve out a different emotional territory. It shares thematic kinship with other poignant dramas about loss, but it achieves something unique: an unexpected lift.
The film handles the heavy subject matter not through unrelenting gloom, but through subtle, vibrant storytelling. Instead of dwelling solely on the shadow, it introduces moments of life that are unexpectedly rich, emphasizing connection and resilience. It reminds us that even in the deepest melancholy, there is room for joy and warmth.
This shift makes the viewing experience genuinely enthusiastic. Where some narratives might lean heavily into doom and gloom, this film opts for a more nuanced balance—offering poignant reflection alongside moments of genuine human connection. It successfully argues that healing doesn’t always require an overtly bright narrative; sometimes, it simply requires finding the courage to breathe again.
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Credit: FirstShowing.net
