Tuvalu | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

73% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings

A poetic fairy-tale told only with images and international dialogue. The characters revolve around an old public swimming pool in a building which looks more like a cathedral in the middle of a wasteland. Three people live there: the blind father who hankers after times past, the mother who charges buttons for admission, and a son (Denis Lavant) who has never ventured outside. A young woman (Chulpan Hamatova) brings a breath of life from the outside but the cathedral-swimming pool is condemned.

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Tuvalu

Tuvalu

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Critics Consensus

Though a challenging watch, Tuvalu is visually striking and intriguingly quirky.

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Critics Reviews

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Tuvalu | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Patrick Z. McGavin Chicago Tribune A fascinating work that never quite coalesces, Tuvalu finally becomes oppressively repetitive. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 20, 2002 Full Review Tuvalu | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Janice Page Boston Globe Tuvalu is astounding. It is also bizarre, challenging, and, at times, admirably overreaching. Rated: 3.5/4 May 31, 2002 Full Review Tuvalu | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Recommended for its singular vision -- a concept executed with bravura style, intelligent curiosity, and playful wit. Rated: 4.5/5 Mar 3, 2002 Full Review Tuvalu | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Film Threat Rated: 3.5/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Tuvalu | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Andrea Chase Killer Movie Reviews Rated: 4/5 Apr 5, 2003 Full Review Tuvalu | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Scott Weinberg eFilmCritic.com Tuvalu is like watching a Dali painting brought to life...and who wouldn't want to see that? Rated: 4/5 Jan 7, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Fran Z Awesome. Unfortunately it did not receive as much attention as it should. Great movie. It works great in any language... Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/04/24 Full Review Audience Member Ik vind het heel raar Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A strange supernatural TV drama. Set in northern England during the 60s, two young religious boys put their talents to create their own version of the fabled golem. There is a bully in town who has already commented several murders by pushing other boys into a watery clay pit. The same pit the main characters gather their clay from and the bully is already their target for when their golem is ready... But the alliance between the boys isn't as strong as it sounds. One of the boys can't be trusted. He dabbles in strange reclusive activities and seems to have strange powers. For the most part of the film the viewers are kept in the dark about what exactly is happening. Whether the supernatural events one is seeing are actually happening or a trick of illusion or hypnosis are unknown up until the near the end of the film.The film has a slow paced and mournful feel to it not much in the way of action and absolutely nothing of sex. The setting is an original idea, poverty ridden northern England in the last century. It's a bit like Billy Elliot with a monster in it. (Which of course means it's better than Billy Elliot.)It's also nice to see a film about a golem. All the golem films I know are from the silent era. And it's also interesting that the word "golem" is never mentioned in the film but is in the film descriptions I read. Straying from the original fable though, this golem is of a rather somber and sympathetic nature. The CG animation of the monster is obvious but not at all bad considering it's for such an obscure film.So you wont find any cheesy action in this movie but it is an original, nice atmospheric piece with some good acting and intriguing story. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member A Fun and Bizarre Slapstick Fantasy--A genre bending film!! Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Weird is an understatement. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most amazing, charming and wonderful movies of all time. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Tuvalu

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Cast & Crew

Veit Helmer Director Denis Lavant Anton Chulpan Khamatova Eva Philippe Clay Karl Terrence Gillespie Gregor E.J. Callahan Inspector
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Photos

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Tuvalu

Denis Lavant as Anton Terrence Gillespie as Gregor Chulpan Hamatora as Eva A scene from "Tuvalu" Chulpan Khamatova as Eva & Denis Lavant as Anton Chulpan Khamatova as Eva From TUVALU, by Veit Helmer Denis Lavant as Anton Denis Lavant as Anton Phillipe Clay as Karl View more photos

Synopsis A poetic fairy-tale told only with images and international dialogue. The characters revolve around an old public swimming pool in a building which looks more like a cathedral in the middle of a wasteland. Three people live there: the blind father who hankers after times past, the mother who charges buttons for admission, and a son (Denis Lavant) who has never ventured outside. A young woman (Chulpan Hamatova) brings a breath of life from the outside but the cathedral-swimming pool is condemned.

Director
Veit Helmer

Producer
Veit Helmer

Screenwriter
Veit Helmer, Michaela Beck

Distributor
Indican Releasing, Buena Vista International [us]

Production Co
Veit Helmer Filmproduktron

Genre
Comedy, Drama

Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 19, 1999, Original

Release Date (DVD)
Mar 1, 2007

Box Office (Gross USA)
$411.7K

Runtime
1h 41m

Sound Mix
Dolby SR, Dolby Digital

Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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