The Survivors

Similar to The Dinner and Atonement, which became an instant hit and was distributed to over 30 nations, this film follows three brothers as they confront the traumatic childhood experience that altered the trajectory of their lives.

Following the passing of their mother, three estranged brothers go back to the lakeside house where a horrific event more than 20 years prior had left their family irrevocably changed. The eldest, Nils, was unable to leave his stuffy house quickly enough, while Pierre, the youngest, was easily teased and fast to snap. And then there is Benjamin, the family's constant center of tension who is always alert for trap doors and triggers in a turbulent home where the kids were left to fend for themselves while vying for their mother's illusive affection and their father's favor.

But as the years have passed, Benjamin has become more and more detached from reality and motionless as the world around him goes on. And now there is a hazardous current vibrating between the brothers. What actually occurred on that hot summer's day when everything collapsed?

The Survivors blends the heart of Shuggie Bain, the literary vigor of Ian McEwan, and the emotional insight of Edward St Aubyn in a grippingly fast-paced story. Through an insightful analysis of a mind in disarray following a tragic event, Alex Schulman exposes the ways in which our strongest allegiances expose us to the biggest betrayals.