ENCOUNTERS 2026: Tristan Forever

Every year since our founding in 2010, The Bioscope has proudly hosted screenings of The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival. Now celebrating its 28th year as a festival, Encounters returns to The Bioscope once again with screenings at The Bioscope from 5 - 14 June. Tickets are R90. 

SEE THE FULL BIOSCOPE ENCOUNTERS PROGRAM HERE.

Tristan Forever (A)
Dir. Tobias Nölle & Lorran Bonnardot | Switzerland/Tristan da Cunha | 2026 | 89 min.

Tristan da Cunha is the world’s most remote inhabited island. Located in the middle of the South Atlantic, the picturesque landmass has become something of a spiritual refuge for Loran Bonnardot, a doctor from Paris, who has never felt at home in his hometown. For more than 30 years, Loran has been visiting the island, and now, at the age of 50, he has decided to make the place his home and join the 200 or so residents. Loran packs up his life—including his piano—and relocates himself to Tristan. But before he can be granted permanent residency, he needs to earn the trust of the island’s residents and show that he has what it takes to survive there. Made with a poetic detachment that reflects Loran’s alienation and distance from the world, the film explores issues of belonging, identity, and community, along with the yearnings that fuel our dreams of Utopia.