“A beautiful, cinematic, dark tale where fantasy and realism meet in an unexpected way.”
O F F I C I A L T E A S E R T R A I L E R
T h e S t o r y
1932 - Oscar is a lonely outsider just starting his summer residency at an Insane Asylum. He connects with an elderly, aggressive, mystical woman who is abused and chained up in the asylum. Her story is unknown and her life is close to its end. She is longing for the sea. Oscar defies the rules and brings her items from the sea, piece by piece, helping her to find final peace while discovering her surreal true identity.
T h e C a s t
Fransisco Zurcher as OSCAR
Michelle Ferlene as PATIENT 202
T h e W r i t e r / D i r e c t o r
M a j a F e r n q v i s t - Director Statement
I believe my dark and cinematic short film offers a quite fresh and original story that is putting a spin on a classic “happily ever after” fairytale. I love clashing different worlds, and to tell important stories in a fantastical-realistic way to provoke new perspectives.
A F I D W W + P r o g r a m
Maja Fernqvist was one out of 8 directors selected for the prestigious AFI DWW+ program this year, a program initiated to create a more diverse film industry. “Above The Sea” is Fernqvist’s DWW+ film project, and it will be running in the 2026 festival circuit.
O f f i c i a l P o s t e r
BTS GALLERY Photo Credit - Martina Paradiso
M u s i c b y S a m R e d f e r n
The original music is composed by the award winning composer Sam Redfern.
