| Director | Nora Fingscheidt |
|---|---|
| Genre | drama film |
| Runtime | 118 min |
| Country | Germany, Spain, United Kingdom |
| Box office | $4.7 million |
The story is told in a non-linear fashion. Rona, a young woman recently out of rehab for alcoholism, returns home to the Orkney Islands in Scotland. Her parents, originally from England, are separated. Staying with them alternately, she helps her father on his farm and meets her mother's religious friends.
In flashbacks, Rona's previous life as a biology graduate student in London is shown, finding freedom in clubbing and meeting a boyfriend, Daynin. However, Rona's drinking turns to alcoholism, causing problems in her relationship, and unintentional injury. Eventually, Daynin leaves her. One night, she is attacked while drunk. Soon afterwards, she enters rehab and completes a 90-day sober programme.
Back on Orkney, Rona struggles to connect with others. She decides to return to London, but on the ferry, feels an overwhelming urge to drink, and abandons her plan to leave. She takes a job with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which involves a systematic search for the now-rare corn crake. She listens at assigned hours for its distinctive frog-like call. Rona's father has bipolar disorder, and when she comes across him in a depressive and non-responsive state, she takes a taste from his abandoned wineglass, leading to a brief relapse.
Soon afterwards, Rona gets a job with the RSPB on the remote Papa Westray island, home to a tiny community. Living by herself, she connects with some of the other islanders, including a fellow alcoholic who runs the grocery. Throughout a windy winter on Papa Westray, she develops an interest in seaweed biology and grows healthier. As she prepares to depart that spring, she hears the call of a corn crake for the first time and laughs in delight.