The skyline looks gorgeous at dawn, but things aren’t quite as romantic as they may seem at first. After all, … well, you have to find out by watching an exclusive first look at Don’t Let the Sun! The fiction feature directorial debut by documentary filmmaker Jacqueline Zünd (Where We Belong, Almost There, Goodnight Nobody) from Switzerland will have its world premiere on Aug. 9 at the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, where it will screen in the Filmmakers of the Present lineup.
Levan Gelbakhiani (And Then We Danced) stars as Jonah, who provides comfort for strangers amid rising temperatures. However, when he meets the young Nika, portrayed by newcomer Maria Pia Pepe, his life threatens to get out of sync.
Written by Zünd, who promises “a glimpse of how external conditions could affect and shape our inner worlds,” and Arne Kohlweyer, the movie features cinematography from Nikolai von Graevenitz.
The movie, from producer Lomotion and co-producers CDV – Casa delle Visioni and SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, will be distributed in Switzerland by Filmcoopi Zürich. International sales are being handled by Sideral Cinema.
The 2025 edition of the Locarno Film Festival runs Aug. 6-16 in the picturesque Swiss lakeside town.
The first look at Don’t Let the Sun, which THR can exclusively present below, gives us a first sense of Gelbakhiani’s Jonah and Pepe’s Nika, their developing relationship, as well as a first look at the sun featured in the film’s title. Actually, we get both, a glimpse of the celestial body itself and a mention of the sun as a character in a play. There is also a question about a happy childhood. But first and foremost, the first look sets the mood, showcasing the atmosphere to expect from Don’t Let the Sun.
Check out the first look below.