Sunday Shorts: Something Fishy....

sea/film
May 24, 2020
2 min read

This week’s Sunday shorts takes on the topic of Fish, this was largely inspired by re-watching the amazing feature film Bait (2019) by Mark Jenkin. Which filmed entirely in black and white and on 16mm, tells the story of a local Cornish fishman who is at odds with the wealthy second home owners that appear to have no respect for the Cornish landscape or his way of life.

The first film you will see today is ‘Fish Story’ by Charlie Lyne and inspired by a story by Caspar Salmon. It follows a story told by Salmon’s grandmother, of when she was invited to a gathering in Wales, which was to be attended by people only with fish related surnames. The film explores this fishy tale, to work out if it was in fact true.

Charlie Lyne, Fish Story, 2017, 13.38mins: https://bit.ly/2XsfikG

The next film is Jonah (2013), directed by Kibwe Tavares, and starring Daniel Kaluuya. It follows the story of two young men Mbwana and Juma, who after stealing a camera take a photograph of gigantic fish leaping out of the sea, which results in the small town they live in becoming a hot-spot for tourists. But the initial euphoria of this happening and money it brings soon wears thin and does not quite live up to the expectations of the two men.

Kibwe Tavares, Jonah, 2013, 17.42mins: https://bit.ly/2LR29MZ

We move to animation with Abhishek Verma’s film The Fish Curry, (2017), which follows the main character of Lalit Ghosh, who decides to come-out to his parents, so he cooks his father’s favourite fish curry in order to do this. But will it work….

Abhishek Verma, THE FISH CURRY ( Maacher Jhol ), 2017, 12mins: https://bit.ly/2TzZHP8

The next film some of our regular sea/film attendees might remember as it was actually the first ever film that we showed, during our first ever performance last year. It was Kevin Cameron’s, Fishmonger Scales and Other Red Herrings. It is an experimental documentary shot on 16mm Colour and Black and White and looks at seaside and coastal traditions, including getting your fish and chips wrapped up in newspapers, which for many of us today seems like some distant fantasy.

Kevin Cameron, Fishmonger Scales and Other Red Herrings 1998, 5.27mins: https://bit.ly/36xrPaP

We move on to a very short and sweet little film Jennifer Sheridan's Catch of the Day, (2013). It follows a lonely fisherman who whilst out on the lake, get's more than he bargained for on his daily fishing trip.

Jennifer Sheridan's Catch of the Day, 2013, 3mins https://vimeo.com/172986655

Lastly and only a short clip is available from this film online is The Big Fish Theory (2009) by Jessica Sarah Rinland. It is a meditative work, that considers proof that the Universe is in fact a fish. Her wider practice largely done on 16mm offers lyrical and well researched observations often about ecological and cultural contexts.