Nature and nurture collide in this Dutch film that finds real human drama in the aftermath of a devastating 1953 flood. When a torrential storm breaks through the dikes in the coastal province of Zeeland, single mother Julia (Sylvia Hoeks) takes refuge with her family in her parents’ attic. Before they can be rescued, though, Julia and her infant son are separated by the rapid floodwaters and the chaos they bring. As the village tries to cope with the disaster, Julia and her rescuer (Barry Atsma) begin the seemingly impossible task of finding her son in the midst of the wreckage.

The first film to tackle the Dutch disaster, THE STORM eschews the large-scale storytelling of director Ben Sombogaart’s last few films for a story that is narrow in scope but rich in intensity. The floods, which led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of Dutch citizens, are suitably menacing, but it’s Julia’s story that puts the scope of the tragedy in focus, finding an emotional core in an event that defies understanding.