The masculine confrontation between father and son set against the stunning beauty of the Swiss Alps.

In the wake of his mother’s death, Rein moves from the Netherlands to a ski town in the Swiss Alps. There, he is immersed in nature, leading a quiet life teaching snowboarding and befriending visiting skiers. Then his father comes to visit for the first time, rupturing Rein’s tranquil bubble with his domineering presence and heavy baggage from their shared past. When the two embark on a day of backcountry skiing, their tense, competitive rapport reaches a breaking point – until nature threatens to put their petty power struggle into perspective.

With stunning cinematography that captures the intimidating and immense grandeur of the Swiss Alps in winter, “Alpha.” deftly explores the age-old battle of man vs. man vs. mountain. A fight for dominance hangs over this simmering family drama that morphs into a gripping adventure thriller. Gijs Sholten van Aschat and Reinout Scholten van Aschat – father and son both on screen and in real life – go deep in a well-composed drama with nerve.

The film premiered at the Venice Days (Giornate degli Autori), a side programme dedicated to auteur cinema at the Venice Film Festival.