Retreat

Directed by Ted Evans

United Kingdom

2025

107 mins

15+

An all-deaf cast enrich this atmospheric thriller in which a young woman arrives at a remote wellness retreat for Deaf people where nothing is as it seems. Toronto 2025.

Eva (Anne Zander), a young woman from Berlin, seeks connection and a chance to escape her past at a secluded Deaf community in the English countryside. The retreat, run by the enigmatic Mia (Sophie Stone), promises to prepare its residents for the harsh realities of the hearing world. But when Eva develops a bond with long-time resident Matt (James Boyle, Reunion), this idyllic community begins to unravel as the pair question everything, including their identity and the costs of maintaining a supposedly utopian society. Director Ted Evans makes his feature debut with this groundbreaking psychological thriller that features an all-Deaf cast. Nominated for the Golden Eye Award at the Zurich Film Festival.

“Retreat is a bold and immersive portrayal of deaf identity, offering a richly textured world that challenges how we think about language, belonging, and self-determination.”

Sara Clements, Next Best Review

Films showing at this event

Trapeze
A powerful exploration of autonomy, ancestral ties and Deaf identity expressed through movement, narration and Auslan choreography. A deeply personal work from Jeremy Lowrenčev.

Screens with Retreat

Tickets

Thu 4 June 2026, 6:15pm

Past Event

Dendy Newtown - Cinema 2

Sat 13 June 2026, 1:15pm

Past Event

Dendy Newtown - Cinema 2

Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.

We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

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