Nothing Personal

A young Dutch woman leaves all her belongings behind and departs for Ireland with a tent and a few bits and pieces. Roaming around the rugged landscape, she happens upon the secluded house of Martin, a man in his fifties. Attracted by the freedom evoked by the surroundings, she stays around. After the first fragile contact, a relationship starts budding between the two Einzelgängers. He offers her board and lodging in exchange for chores in and around the house. She agrees on the condition they will not have any personal contact. Subsequently, they try to preserve the distance between them, while secretly longing for a more personal bond. In Urszula Antoniak's feature film debut, the hostile and rough Irish landscape emphasises the leading characters' itch for freedom. They disappear in it: their clothes and hair colour act as a camouflage and the many wide shots reduce them to specks in the distance.