The North (15)

Bart Schrijver’s acclaimed drama follows former best friends and roommates Chris (Bart Harder) and Lluis (Carles Pulido), who meet up after a decade to hike Scotland’s West Highland Way and Cape Wrath Trail.

Having taken the same 350-mile walk in their youth, the pair hope to rekindle their once-strong friendship by spending 30 days together in the majestic, raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands. But while Chris remains preoccupied with work and life back at home, Lluis is determined to finish the trail to prove he can still do it. Amidst the sweeping landscapes, harsh weather and chance encounters with other hikers, the solitude and silence of the trek force the pair to confront truths about themselves and their friendship – and find out what it truly means to stand still and listen.

Shot entirely on the route of the walk, and in chronological order, The North is a beautiful ode to friendship and the healing power of nature. It’s not only a poignant and powerful drama, but also perhaps the definitive hiking film, allowing us to take in the stunning majesty of the Highlands shoulder-to-shoulder with Lluis and Chris as they reconnect with each other and with nature.