Synopsis

Two men wander the streets of a deserted city. Neither has any memory of how they came to be there. 

In a busy city a woman grieves. 

As a series of strange events and suppressed memories manifest, the two worlds begin to collide. 

Making Undertow

Undertow is an exploration of loss and isolation. The film focuses on the story of two characters that experience the same emotional journey but in opposite worlds which eventually collide.

In many ways the film is about extremes. The city is represented as a colossal, empty and foreboding urban space throwing into relief quiet moments of intimate grief. The juxtaposition serves to contrast the two aspects of the emotional journey that the film explores, namely the conscious and unconscious struggle of coming to terms with loss.

Dialogue is used at an absolute minimum and the story is communicated through a carefully constructed visual/sound design. The film takes on the feel of a dream or visual poem. This maintains a certain level of ambiguity that focuses the mood at the centre of the experience, and allows the audience to create their own interpretation of the story.

Undertow posed something of a logistical challenge to produce on a low budget. The illusion of a deserted city shot in central London locations required a lengthy and demanding production process. To maximise efficiency the film was carefully designed with a small crew and merely a handful of actors, allowing us to approach the shoot using somewhat guerrilla tactics.