Kino Lorber Acquires North American Rights to Reed Van Dyk's Cannes Directors Fortnight Selection 'Atonement'
“Confidently executed…Van Dyk shows himself adept both at kinetic war action and the everyday, the most powerful confrontation here happening in the domestic calm of the finale.”
– Jonathan Romney, Screen
“Abbass gives a master class in less-is-more restraint. This is acting of the highest caliber…her mesmerizing performance here ranks with her very best.”
– David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
“This intimate and psychologically astute portrait of the human cost of U.S. imperial violence draws a precise focus from what cinema is built for: putting us in a character’s skin.”
– Sophie Monks Kaufman, Indiewire
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Reed Van Dyk’s powerful Iraq War drama Atonement, starring Hiam Abbass, Boyd Holbrook, and Kenneth Branagh. Based on the New Yorker article by Dexter Filkins and written and directed by Van Dyk, the film made its world premiere in Directors Fortnight at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Atonement will continue to screen on the international festival circuit ahead of an awards season theatrical release by Kino Lorber this fall, followed by a digital, educational, and home video release.
Displaced from their home by U.S. military action during the early days of the Iraq War, the Khachaturian family finds refuge with relatives, gathering their three generations together under one roof. But when another bombing erupts nearby, they decide to return to their home across the city. As they navigate the war-torn streets of Baghdad, the family is trapped in a firefight between U.S. Marines and insurgents, and one Marine’s split-second decision devastates the family. Years later, haunted by his time in Iraq and aided by a New Yorker journalist, the Marine seeks to reconcile with the Khachaturian matriarch and her surviving family members. Anchored by moving, unforgettable performances from Boyd Holbrook and Hiam Abbass (Palestine ‘36, Bye Bye Tiberias), Atonement is a powerfully human story about the immeasurable costs of war, exploring universal questions about guilt, redemption, and the nature of forgiveness.
The deal for Atonement was negotiated by Kino Lorber VP of Acquisitions Karoliina Dwyer with WME Independent and CAA Media Finance.
"I’m truly delighted to partner with Kino Lorber," said writer/director Reed Van Dyk. "The company's films, classic and contemporary alike, have played a significant part in my coming of age as a filmmaker. Thanks to them, I’ve been able to watch films like Dogtooth, Homeland: Iraq Year Zero, and Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk in theaters and then again at home on physical media for re-watch and study. It feels so meaningful to join the Kino family for the release of Atonement at this moment when we are once again consumed by senseless wars abroad. It feels more urgent than ever to share an anti-war story with as wide an audience as possible."
"I've never seen a war film like Atonement,” said Lisa Schwartz, Chief Distribution & Revenue Officer for Kino Lorber. "From its visceral, heart-stopping opening scenes to its unexpected and poignant conclusion, Reed Van Dyk's exceptional debut feature stayed with me for days after I first saw it at Cannes. Held together by an exquisite, shattering performance by Hiam Abbass, the film moves beyond traditional war narratives to ask the harder question of what it takes to truly forgive. We couldn't be more proud to bring this extraordinary film to North American audiences this fall."
Written and directed by Reed Van Dyk, Atonement is a Star Thrower Entertainment, Redline Entertainment, and Talon Entertainment production. The film is produced by Trevor White, Tim White, David M. Wulf, Reed Van Dyk, and Steven Demmler and executive produced by Wayne L. Rogers and Robert Van Dyk.