Hlynur Pálmason, one of contemporary cinema’s most distinct and poetic filmmakers, returns with “The Love That Remains,” a quietly devastating portrait of a family in flux. The film—Iceland’s official selection for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards—will open in U.S. theaters on January 30 from Janus Films, which has now released the first trailer.
Following the elemental austerity of “Godland,” Pálmason turns inward, capturing a year in the life of a couple navigating the complexities of separation. Told through shifting moods and seasonal rhythms, the film explores the bittersweet beauty of fading love and shared memories. “The Love That Remains” moves between humor, heartbreak, and abstraction with Pálmason’s signature blend of painterly precision and emotional restraint.
The Playlist praised the film at Cannes as “intimate, poetic, and a little distancing,” calling it “a film of tender craft and unflinching honesty, made with a sensitivity that borders on the sacred.” Many other critics have also lauded its tonal control and depth.
The film stars Saga Garðarsdóttir, Sverrir Guðnason, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Grímur Hlynsson, Þorgils Hlynsson, Ingvar Sigurðsson, and Anders Mossling. Produced by Anton Máni Svansson and Katrin Pors, Pálmason’s frequent collaborators, the film is a co-production between Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and France.
Shot across an entire year to reflect the passage of seasons, “The Love That Remains” continues Pálmason’s exploration of impermanence and spiritual endurance—an intimate human story rendered with his trademark painterly austerity.
“The Love That Remains” opens January 30 from Janus Films.
