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Ghosts of the Sea

Play trailer 1:46 Poster for Ghosts of the Sea 2024 1h 37m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Born at sea, Virginia was just five when her father, the famous Norwegian adventurer Peter Tangvald, died tragically in a shipwreck. When her elder brother, Thomas, also disappeared mysteriously at sea in 2014, Virginia decided to investigate her origins, which became the documentary Ghosts of the Sea. She explores the archives and memories of those who encountered this atypical family. What she discovers is staggering: two of Peter's wives died under suspicious and potentially criminal circumstances. More questions arise. In seeking to understand where she comes from and uncover her family's dark secrets, Virginia has made a compellingly beautiful film that challenges what she believed to be true and calls into question the idyllic image of the sailor in search of absolute freedom. At the end of her courageous journey is the hope that a toxic cycle has been broken.

Critics Reviews

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Peter Howell Toronto Star A haunting, artfully constructed documentary that unravels the myth of Tangvald’s romantic freedom, exposing a legacy of loss, suspicion and generational trauma. May 2, 2025 Full Review Courtney Small POV Magazine An intriguing search for catharsis through the tall grass of tragedy, Ghosts of the Sea is a haunting work that lingers in the mind. May 1, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Virginia Tangvald

Director

Virginia Tangvald

Screenwriter

Isabelle Couture

Producer

Élaine Hébert

Producer

Nathalie Cloutier

Producer

Maéva Savinien

Producer
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Ghosts of the Sea

Ghosts of the Sea: Trailer 1 Ghosts of the Sea: Trailer 1 1:46 View more videos
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Ghosts of the Sea

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Movie Info

Synopsis Born at sea, Virginia was just five when her father, the famous Norwegian adventurer Peter Tangvald, died tragically in a shipwreck. When her elder brother, Thomas, also disappeared mysteriously at sea in 2014, Virginia decided to investigate her origins, which became the documentary Ghosts of the Sea. She explores the archives and memories of those who encountered this atypical family. What she discovers is staggering: two of Peter's wives died under suspicious and potentially criminal circumstances. More questions arise. In seeking to understand where she comes from and uncover her family's dark secrets, Virginia has made a compellingly beautiful film that challenges what she believed to be true and calls into question the idyllic image of the sailor in search of absolute freedom. At the end of her courageous journey is the hope that a toxic cycle has been broken.
Director
Virginia Tangvald
Producer
Isabelle Couture, Élaine Hébert, Nathalie Cloutier, Maéva Savinien
Screenwriter
Virginia Tangvald
Production Co
micro_scope, National Film Board of Canada, Urban Factory
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
French
Runtime
1h 37m