‘Christopher at Sea’ – new work from Tom C J Brown to premiere at Venice Film Festival
Skwigly
It was announced today that the short film Christopher at Sea will have its world premiere at the prestigious Venice Film Festival (August 31 – September 10). Coproduced by Psyop, Temple Carrington & Brown, and Miyu, the film is directed by award winning director Tom C J Brown and will compete in the Orizzonti Short Films Competition.
The film follows Christopher (James Potter) as he embarks on a transatlantic voyage as a passenger on a cargo ship. A chance encounter with Third Engineer Valentin (Andrew Isar) under moonlight waylays his hopes of finding out what lures so many men to sea and sets him on a journey into solitude, fantasy, and obsession.
Floating in the warm waters of my mother’s amniotic fluid I was struck with a fantastic idea. And when I reached out to the universe it responded, plaguing Mother with nightmares of my drowning. 30 years later, Michael Fukushima of NFB fame posted about a residency on a cargo ship to which my failed submission set me on my own journey of desire and obsession to make this film. Despite the selected artist becoming stranded at sea due to the shipping company’s financial woes, I was obsessed. I would not be deterred — I must live my dream of crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a cargo ship! I convinced Psyop to finance the voyage which I used as a writing residency to bring an element of realism to the melodrama of my fantasies about life on board. I set out to write a love story, but Christopher’s romance soon became entwined with my own story of struggle with identity, discovering my truth, a dramatic retelling of the communal showers in a hostel at Sundance, and a rewriting of Mother’s prophecy.
Christopher at Sea is a queer operatic thriller set to the emotive music of Schubert’s 1823 song cycle ‘Die schöne Müllerin’ alongside contemporary music from Casey Spooner, Walt Disco, and the film’s composers Brian Mcomber and Judith Berkson. Christopher’s journey, mirrored by the narrative of Schubert’s journeying Miller, bursts with emotion and fantasy as the melodrama of opera meets the reality of life on board a merchant vessel.
If you have to choose between what is correct and what is fashion, choose fashion” I frantically explained to the wonderful animators as I described how we were attempting to portray the most beautiful mohair jumper ever seen on the silver screen. Twenty minutes of sumptuous hand-drawn animation awaits the viewer, the combination of thousands of hours, years of love, and an incredible team of artists and collaborators bringing Christopher to life on open waters. My enduring thanks to everyone – and there have been many – who have lent their time, money and talents to this project xo
-Tom C J Brown
Tom is a singular film maker. Christopher at Sea is a vision that could have only come from him and every frame is a piece of art. I am honored to have been part of the team that brought this project to life as part of Psyop’s ongoing investment in creatively led original projects.
-Amanda Miller (Producer, Psyop)
Christopher at Sea is the second title of the 2022 short film slate for Psyop Originals, who earlier this year premiered Bottle Cap, directed by Marie Hyon and Marco Spier, at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.