The latest film by Wim Wenders, Submergence, will open the 65th edition of the San Sebastian Festival on September 22. This will be the European premiere of the co-production between Germany, France, Spain and the USA, after its screening in Toronto. The cast of the film, which will compete for the Golden Shell, is headed by James McAvoy and Alicia Vikander.

The story, shot in Berlin, Madrid, Toledo, different locations in France and Djibouti, was penned by Erin Dignam (The Yellow Handkerchief, The Last Face) based on the famous novel of the same name by The Economist correspondent J.M. Ledgard (Giraffe). James McAvoy and Alicia Vikander embody a hydraulic engineer and a bio-mathematician who meet in a hotel on the French coast, where both are preparing their missions. While she works on a project of immersion in the Greenland Sea, he is taken hostage in Somalia.

The soundtrack is written by Fernando Velázquez (A Monster Calls, The Impossible), once again featuring the Basque National Symphony Orchestra. Wenders himself came to San Sebastian in March to attend the recording.

Submergence is a German, French and Spanish production. An Atresmedia Cine’s presentation produced by Lila 9th (USA) in coproduction with Neue Road Movies, BacKup Media Studios, Morena Films, Submergence A.I.E and UMedia, with the collaboration of Atresmedia and Movistar+’s participation. It will be internationally distributed by Embankment Films and in Spain by Entertainment One Films Spain (eOne Films Spain).