On The Sea DVD

Some Desires Cannot Be Kept Beneath the Surface.

On the windswept coast of North Wales, Jack has built a quiet life around his family, his marriage and the traditional fishing community he calls home. Working the mussel beds alongside his younger brother and nephews, Jack expects his teenage son Tom to eventually follow him into the family business. But Tom's reluctance to inherit his father's way of life creates growing tension at home. Then the arrival of Daniel, an itinerant deckhand looking for work, disrupts Jack's carefully controlled existence. Daniel is openly drawn to Jack, awakening feelings that Jack has spent years suppressing. In a conservative rural community where family, religion and tradition hold enormous weight, their growing attraction forces Jack to confront desires he has kept hidden for much of his life. As their relationship develops, Jack finds himself caught between his responsibilities to his family and community and the possibility of finally living authentically. The consequences of their connection ripple through the small fishing village, testing relationships and challenging long-held ideas about masculinity, sexuality and belonging. Written and directed by Helen Walsh, On the Sea is a sensual and emotionally restrained LGBTQIA+ drama about desire, identity and the courage required to change one's life. Starring Barry Ward, Lorne MacFadyen and Liz White, the film uses the rugged coastline and isolated fishing community of North Wales as both a setting and a powerful reflection of its characters' emotional lives. The film premiered in competition at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and has subsequently screened at international festivals, earning recognition for its performances, atmosphere and intimate storytelling.