From the Film Maker...

Piero della Francesca is known for his rigid, formal compositions which often lend a surreal quality to his work. It is this aspect I wanted to capture in my film by composing a tableau which emulates the painting. It is in the final shot.

The central idea behind baptism is the cleansing of sin through water and (re)entry to society or heavenly domain. This theme of redemption was a powerful motivation for me. We may come across desperate characters in need of redemption and I thought it might be beautiful to see them attain it through this project.

The image of the dove, the Holy Spirit, which drops from the sky as Jesus Christ is baptised, was for me more meaningful as a symbol of flight, or of leaving the earthly world behind. This inspired the image of the plane flying over the heads of my characters in the film, symbolising not only departure but a new destination.

While spirituality is certainly a main concern of the film, it was not my intention to make any kind of commentary about Christianity. I was, in fact, not motivated by any religious concerns. However, I feel the film echoes certain basic ideas found in most religions.
Mark Lee