Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, Joanna Hogg's The Souvenir is a love story set at a film school. The passion runs deep between its lovers (Honor Swinton Byrne andTom Burke) and it hurts, as the two reckon if they can be, all the while Tilda Swinton watches over with a knowing eye. 

Joanna Hogg's formalism is on full display in this first trailer. The exact framing, the softness of the image, and the all-knowing classical score help to set the scene for a harrowing tale of romance and the desire of something that could never be. 


One pull-quote in the trailer caught my eye: "The Souvenir feels like the only film in the world, the only one that matters." I'm not sure if that's a bit of an overstatement or just a strong sell (or both), but it has to be one of the most hyperbolic statements ever displayed in a film's marketing materials. With Oscar season, in full-swing, that's truly saying something. 

The film will open in select theaters on May 17th, 2019.

Will you be watching The Souvenir when it opens in theaters this spring? Let us know in the comments below.