Andrew Haigh describes new film ‘A Long Winter’ as a delicate survival drama

Director Andrew Haigh is preparing for the upcoming awards season with his new survival drama, ‘A Long Winter’. The film, which stars Fred Hechinger, is based on a short story by Irish author Colm Tóibín that Haigh has sought to adapt for nearly 20 years.

Haigh has described the project as his own ‘more delicate version’ of ‘The Revenant’, noting that the production took place in a remote location near Calgary, Canada—the same area used for the filming of ‘The Revenant’. The production involved building a family home from scratch in the woods under extreme weather conditions, including winds reaching 100 miles per hour.

The story follows a young man named Miquel living in a remote, snowy village, navigating the emotional and physical challenges of a harsh wilderness setting after his mother leaves the family.