A Calm Sea Sways
Synopsis
When they were kids, Claire and her sister Abby are playing on a beach when tragedy strikes, and Abby mysteriously disappears. Years have passed and Claire, dealing with survivors guilt, hasn’t found it in herself to move on. Bad relationships with her mother and now ex-boyfriend have put Claire in a vulnerable place and on the anniversary of Abby’s disappearance, Claire is forced to find out what really happened to her sister.
Film details
- Year
- 2018
- Runtime
- 00:13:44
- Genre
- Drama, Thriller
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Subtitles
- English, Español, Português, Français, العربية, 中文（简体）
Filmmaker's Note
The sense of insecurity and vulnerability lingers over a parent when they have children. The main concern is: Are they safe? This makes all parents feel as if they are on high alert, all of the time. Although you can’t be with them, all of the time. What happens when a child goes out to play, even with a sibling, and they still get hurt? The aftermath of such an occurrence will leave an everlasting mark on those left behind.
These questions led to the idea of A Calm Sea Sways and imagining what would happen to a family after tragedy hits. Some families comfort each other, some blame, and some completely shut off emotions and interactions. In the case of Claire and her family, it was a combination of all three. She was blamed for the accident by her mother, and consoled by her father. One incident in Claire’s life has led to years of distrust, guilt, abandonment and depression. She asks herself, ‘Am I to blame for my sister’s death and could I have prevented it?’
A personal tragedy is a human tragedy and that is why this film is important. It is crucial to examine family dynamics in times of heartache, and what impact that has on a child’s life. Can children make conscious decisions that will put themselves and others in danger, or are they unaware of their actions and results? These universal themes are what drives the narrative in A Calm Sea Sways and what I hope the audience will connect to.
Credits
Director
- Ross Donald
Writers
- Ross Donald
Producers
- Mhairi Valentine
About the filmmaker
By Ross Donald
Ross Donald is a Glasgow based filmmaker who has been writing and directing short films since 2011. He recently graduated from The University of the West of Scotland specialising in filmmaking and screenwriting. Lord Knows is his first independent film outside of university. Ross' previous short film, Lord Knows (2017), was selected to a number of UK Film Festivals including High Peak Independent Film Festival, The Shortest Nights and The Edinburgh Indie Film Festival, picking up Best Film Runner Up (Scotland) in Edinburgh.
