Welsh mussel farmers take centre-stage in new queer romantic drama

A queer romantic drama set against the backdrop of the Welsh mussel-farming industry made its premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival last weekend (Saturday, 16 August).

On The Sea, the second film directed by English novelist and filmmaker Helen Walsh, tells the story of  a middle-aged mussel farmer, Jack, who begins an unexpected relationship with a drifter who soon becomes his deckhand.

Within the context of small-town tradition and expectations, the film explores masculinity, desire, and sexuality. Walsh has said the story was “loosely inspired” by someone she knew who came out in his later life and was subsequently “completely cut adrift from his family, friends and community.”

Masculinity and marriage

Filmed near the Menai Strait, Walsh wanted the “claustrophobic” environment itself to play a central role.

She told The Hollywood Reporter: “I’m interested in the ways in which hard, physical environments give rise to certain masculine ideals, and how in certain small, coastal communities, these masculinities become closely aligned with tradition, stoicism and heterosexual marriage. The film is just as much about masculinity as it is about sexuality.

“But while the story is strongly embedded in place, it’s not specific to Wales — it’s a story that could easily sit in any of the UK and Ireland’s small coastal or rural towns.”

Jack (Barry Ward) runs his family’s business alongside his brother Dyfan (Celyn Jones) while raising his teenage son Tom (Henry Lawfull), all while in remission from cancer. Married to his high school sweetheart Maggie (Liz White), Jack has long accepted his quiet life in the coastal fishing community. Until the self-assured Daniel (Lorne MacFadyen) comes along.

On the Sea’s story turns to an exploration of truth and identity when Jack and Daniel’s affair is made public. The drama then follows Jack as he opens up to his community.

Ultimately, Walsh wanted to avoid the stereotypically sad endings of similar stories, instead opting for a tale that proves “that love and compassion always triumph.”

Reception

The film has received glowing reviews from critics since its premiere, with many praising the chemistry between Ward and MacFadyen.

Guy Lodge wrote for Variety: “The severe, slate-skied stretch of northern Welsh coastline on which Helen Walsh‘s romantic drama plays out may be menaced by the sea and unvisited by the sun, but it’s rather lovely in its own forbidding way…The love scenes between the two men are intense and unprettified, leaving a lasting emotional imprint.”

Similarly, Screen Daily‘s Nikki Baughan wrote: “Even in the inevitable reveal, Walsh takes care to remain true to her characters and their motivations. And if things begin to veer towards the melodramatic in the film’s final stages, the strength of Walsh’s writing, and of the world she has built, keep it on an even keel.”

Although no official release date has yet been announced, On The Sea is expected to feature at several film festivals in the coming months.

To read Helen Walsh’s full interview with The Hollywood Reporter, click here.