Nothing Personal

A young, rebellious Dutch woman walks the trails of Ireland, vagabond by choice, enjoying the solitude she was looking for in the austere landscape of Connemara. He is a man in his prime, living a solitary life in a secluded house on a beautiful island. She is radical and uncompromising. He is wise and ironic. What connects them is solitude they both see as freedom. He proposes her to work for him in exchange of food. She agrees at one condition: there will be no personal contact between them, just work. Soon the two of them become curious about each other and want both: to keep their “nothing personal” deal and to break it. Their simple life follows the cycle of days and nights, work and rest but slowly brings the two of them closer to each other. Who will be the first one to break the deal?

Urszula Antoniak’s stunningly assured debut is touching, gentle and playful. But it takes a firm stand when it comes to negotiating individual freedom and the urge to still wanting be near to somebody – despite all wounds of a past we don’t get to know in detail. An enigmatic beauty and confusion underlies this character study that should leave nobody unmoved.

“When our contemporary world is busy with issues of unification and integration, the two characters of NOTHING PERSONAL choose a solitude they see as personal freedom and comfort. But isn’t the longing for contact human? What are the stages of coming together of two people? NOTHING PERSONAL is a cinematic experience asking and answering these questions.”

Urszula Antoniak, director

P.S. The leading role is played by Lotte Verbeek, Shooting Star 2010