Under the Tree

A neighbourly dispute over an obtrusive tree spirals violently out of control, in this cutting Icelandic comedy from the producers of Rams.

This dark surburban satire tells the story of a man who is accused of adultery by his ex-fiancée and forced to move in with his parents. While he fights for custody of his four-year-old daughter, he is gradually sucked into a bitter dispute between his parents and their neighbours regarding an old and beautiful tree that casts a shadow on the neighbours’ deck. As the dispute intensifies – property is damaged, pets mysteriously go missing, security cameras are being installed and there is a rumour that the neighbour was seen with a chainsaw...

Directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, whose previous credits include Either Way (remade by David Gordon Green in 2013 as Prince Avalanche), and starring Sigurdur Sigurjónsson (Rams), Under the Tree is cutting comedy of suburban strife reaffirms the importance of neighbourly harmony.