SOIL (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

SOIL is a five-minute experimental film directed by Arnaud Lin and performed by Mathilde Lin. Inspired by the Shehuo tradition, it considers how cultural rituals travel through migration, changing along the way while retaining a connection to land and identity.

SOIL is a short film about the cultural meaning of land and the traditions carried across borders. Directed by Arnaud Lin, the five-minute work draws inspiration from Shehuo, a tradition whose rituals become a way to consider identity, uncertainty and change.

Shot entirely on 16mm, the film is choreographed and performed by Mathilde Lin, with a score by Seb Forrester. Its premise centers on what migration carries forward, what it transforms and what survives the journey.

SOIL movie details

Story without spoilers

The film explores the bond between people and soil as more than a geographical connection. In SOIL, that relationship also represents cultural identity, with ritual serving as a link between inherited practices and the changing circumstances of migration.

Inspired by Shehuo, the film considers how traditions can lose or exchange their original meanings while continuing to hold symbolic importance, particularly during uncertain times. The focus is on movement, inheritance and the elements of culture that remain after transformation.

What to expect

SOIL is a five-minute work built around movement, ritual and cultural reflection. Its inspiration from Shehuo places tradition at the center of the film, while its subject matter connects that tradition to migration and the changing meanings attached to inherited practices.

The production has a clearly defined formal identity: it was shot entirely on 16mm, choreographed and performed by Mathilde Lin, and scored by Seb Forrester. Since the supplied information identifies no genre, the film is best approached as a concise, visually and physically oriented work rather than a conventional narrative feature.

Cast and creative team

Arnaud Lin directed SOIL. Mathilde Lin choreographed and performed the film, while Seb Forrester provided the score. No additional cast or writers are listed in the supplied information.

Release and production context

SOIL is listed as released on September 26, 2026. It has a runtime of five minutes and is identified as having no spoken language. The film was shot entirely on 16mm. No country, production company or writer is specified in the supplied details.

Movies Dock view

With its brief runtime and focus on ritual, migration and the cultural meaning of land, SOIL presents a concentrated exploration of how traditions change as they move. Its 16mm format, physical performance and original score are central parts of the film’s documented design.

Film data:
TMDB