From the Film Maker...

I found Turner's emphasis and portrayal of a beach at dusk captivating. I felt it gave the painting a passionate and romantic feel. I wanted to translate the blurry strokes into a clear image of a modern beach at dusk, with its background of modern day electric lights, while still evoking the same romantic feel.

I chose to translate the isolation of the young boy almost lost in the landscape of Turner's painting into the loneliness of a young man overwhelmed by his emotions. I chose to emphasize the presence of the young man in my film to bring him out of the landscape while keeping him as an integral part of it.

I concentrated on the painting's location - to me a timeless portrayal of a typical English beach - and the sense of Englishness that it depicts. I attempted to transport this to a modern context in my film.

My aim was to portray a modern version of Turner's English beach both literally and emotionally, as well as creating an atmosphere that jars with the calmness of the painting. In place of the young boy with his shrimping net and little white dog, I have introduced a mixed race couple, alcohol and a subtext of sex and emotional turmoil.
Antoinette Fernandez