Ghosts of the Sea () is a Canadian-French multimedia book and documentary film project by Virginia Tangvald, released in 2024.Marie-France Bornais, "Virginia Tangvald raconte comment elle est partie à la recherche de l’histoire familiale pour retrouver son ancrage dans «Les enfants du large», son premier roman". Le Journal de Montréal, October 12, 2024. The book and the film both centre on her search for more information and understanding about her father, Norwegian adventurer Peter Tangvald, and her brother, Thomas Tangvald, who both died in separate shipwreck incidents in 1991 and 2014.Laila Maalouf, "La rançon de la liberté". La Presse, October 14, 2024.
The book was published in September,Philippe Chevilley, "Virginia Tangvald: l'écrivaine et l'ogre des mers". Les Echos, 12 September 2024. while the film premiered in the National Competition at the 2024 Festival du nouveau cinéma."53e FNC: le meilleur du cinéma mondial en primeur à Montréal du 9 au 20 octobre". L'Initiative, September 24, 2024.
At FNC, the film won the TV5 Audience Award."Le FNC dévoile son palmarès". CTVM, October 21, 2024. Tangvald's initial proposal for the film was previously the winner of the Pitch Premières Œuvres prize at the 2020 Festival du nouveau cinéma.Amélie Revert, "«Atlantis», «Sin La Habana» et «Judy vs Capitalism» au palmarès du FNC". Métro, October 19, 2020.
Critical response Reviewing the film when it screened at the 2025 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Courtney Small of Point of View magazine wrote that "Sailing on the dark waters of the past, Ghosts of the Sea builds a poetic blueprint for how the male ego can tangle itself to the anchor of tragedy. Through archival footage of Thomas and Peter, and incorporating interviews with friends, navigation experts, family, and her own inner thoughts, Tangvald presents a vivid portrait of a family that has endured an unimaginable amount of grief. As her camera repeatedly lingers on the ocean, forcing the audience to contemplate both the vastness of nature and the shortsightedness of man, one cannot help but ponder what Thomas’ life might have been like had Peter not been an all-consuming destructive force."Courtney Small, "Ghosts of the Sea Review: Sailing the Turbulent Waters of Closure". Point of View, April 28, 2025.
Awards Glauco Bermudez and Étienne Roussy won the Prix Iris for Best Cinematography in a Documentary at the 27th Quebec Cinema Awards in 2025.Manon Dumais, "À quoi s’attendre du Gala Québec Cinéma". La Presse, December 4, 2025.
The film was a finalist for the Rogers Best Canadian Documentary award at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2025.Alex Nino Gheciu, "‘One Battle After Another’ dominates Toronto Film Critics Association Awards with 4 wins". CFJC-TV, December 8, 2025.
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