Virginia Tangvald’s Ghosts of the Sea opens in Quebec theatres on May 9 after screenings on the festival circuit
PRESS RELEASE
27/03/2025
March 27, 2025 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
Virginia Tangvald’s documentary Les enfants du large (Ghosts of the Sea), a family investigation shot all over the world, opens in Quebec theatres on May 9. The theatrical release will follow the film’s festival tour, first in Quebec and then in Toronto at the prestigious Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, in the Canadian Spectrum Competition. The filmmaker will be attending several screenings of her documentary on the tour.
The film is a Canada-France co-production, produced by micro_scope with the NFB and Urban Factory, distributed by the NFB in Canada and Reservoir Docs internationally.
Watch the trailer
About the film
Les enfants du large (Ghosts of the Sea) by Virginia Tangvald (micro_scope/NFB/Urban Factory, 97 min)
While searching for clues about the death of her brother Thomas, who was lost at sea, the filmmaker embarks on a fascinating investigation into her family’s dark secrets. Calling into question the idyllic life of her father, legendary sailor Peter Tangvald, her quest dismantles the myth of absolute freedom. The film won the TV5 Audience Award for best French-language film at the Festival du nouveau cinéma last October.
In 2024, Virginia Tangvald published her autobiographical story, Les enfants du large, alongside the launch of Ghosts of the Sea, her first feature documentary. A true literary success, the novel has sold more than 25,000 copies in France and Quebec, winning the Discovery of the Fall prize awarded by the French literary organization Société des gens de lettres.
Festival tour – dates
- Festival du film de l’Outaouais – GatineauSaturday, April 5, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Salle Lumière at Cinéma 9
Spotlight on female directors panel: with Virginia Tangvald, along with Louise Archambault, Carole Laure, Mélanie Carrier, Anik Jean, and Renée Beaulieu
Tuesday, April 8, 12:30 p.m. – Cinéma 9
Screening
- Vues sur mer – Festival du cinéma documentaire de Gaspé
Thursday, April 10, 9:15 p.m.
Screening
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French version here | Version française ici.
Media Relations
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About the NFB
Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 7,000 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.