Gone with the Fish (1999)
A tender Danish drama-comedy rooted in real island life, where love, livelihood, and the sea collide on the shores of Bornholm.
Gone with the Fish - Movie Information
Gone with the Fish - Plot
Based on director Lotte Svendsen's own memories of her childhood on the Baltic island of Bornholm, but though it is set in 1981 the conflicts portrayed do not seem far away. At the start of the film Lars Erik and his wife Sonja are doing well on the Baltic island of Bornholm. Lars Erik is a successful fisherman, Sonja is a traditional housewife, proud of their new house bulging with consumer goods. Their love for each other is the sturdy footing on which their home is founded. Lars Erik employs three men on his trawler, and spends as fast as he earns, so when fishing quotas are cut he faces a crisis. One by one his men leave the boat, but he refuses to give up. Being a fisherman is like being a farmer - you depend on the wealth of mother nature herself. However, mother nature is like romance, highly capricious!
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Gone with the Fish - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Lotte Svendsen
Main Cast
- Sofie Stougaard
- Henrik Lykkegaard
- Michelle Bjørn-Andersen
- Isidor Torkar
- Thomas Bo Larsen
- Helle Dolleris
- Søren Hauch-Fausbøll
- Christoffer Barnekov
- Willy Lund Hansen
- Benjamin Hansen
Producers
- Thomas Lydholm
- Per Holst
Gone with the Fish - FAQs
Is Gone with the Fish based on a true story?
Yes, the film draws directly from director Lotte Svendsen's own childhood memories growing up on the Baltic island of Bornholm. While it's a fictional narrative set in 1981, its emotional core and the community it portrays are rooted in her personal experience of life on the island.
Who are the main actors in Gone with the Fish?
The cast is led by Sofie Stougaard as Sonja and Henrik Lykkegaard as her husband Lars Erik. Thomas Bo Larsen, Michelle Bjørn-Andersen, Isidor Torkar, Helle Dolleris, and Søren Hauch-Fausbøll round out the ensemble in this warmly performed Danish drama-comedy.
What is Gone with the Fish about?
Set on the Danish island of Bornholm in 1981, the film follows Lars Erik, a proud fisherman, and his wife Sonja as their comfortable life unravels when fishing quotas are slashed. It's a tender, bittersweet look at resilience, love, and the unpredictable forces — economic and natural — that shape ordinary lives.
What is the significance of the Bornholm setting?
Bornholm is central to the film's identity. The remote Baltic island shapes the characters' way of life, their dependence on fishing, and their tight-knit community. Director Lotte Svendsen drew on her own childhood there, giving the setting an authenticity and emotional intimacy that feels lived-in rather than merely scenic.
Who directed Gone with the Fish?
Gone with the Fish was directed by Lotte Svendsen, a Danish filmmaker who based the story on her own memories of growing up on Bornholm. The film reflects a personal and distinctly feminine perspective on island life, community, and the quiet pressures facing working-class families in early 1980s Denmark.
How long is Gone with the Fish?
Gone with the Fish runs for 116 minutes — just under two hours. It's a leisurely, character-driven pace that suits the film's intimate tone, giving the story room to breathe and the relationships between characters time to develop naturally over the course of the narrative.
What are some films similar to Gone with the Fish?
If you enjoy Gone with the Fish, you might also like The Purity of Vengeance (2018), God's Creatures (2022), The German Lesson (2019), Blue Miracle (2021), and The Home Song Stories (2007). These films share similar themes of community, family under pressure, and the struggle to preserve a way of life against shifting circumstances.
Who was the cinematographer for Gone with the Fish?
The film was shot by Anthony Dod Mantle, the acclaimed Danish-British cinematographer who would later win an Academy Award for his work on Slumdog Millionaire. His visual sensibility brings a grounded, naturalistic quality to the Bornholm landscapes and the domestic interiors that anchor the story.
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