Knots is a 15-minute drama about Carolyn, a seasoned sailor who lost her husband at sea long ago. After leaving the Coast Guard and starting therapy, Carolyn sets out to repair their beloved sailboat, confronting her late husband's memory along the way.

We catch up with Carolyn at the tail end of her group therapy workshop. As she attempts to fix her boat she’s visited by visions of her younger self and her partner as they prepare for a dangerous circumnavigation. 

WHY KNOTS:



“Knots is inspired by my personal experiences and the colourful characters I’ve met while working aboard tall ships”

Like any good romantic, after a difficult end to a first relationship, I dealt with the feeling by running away to the sea. That summer, as a deckhand aboard the tall ship Lady Washington we rescued a stranded sailboat ironically named “Knot Working” with a young couple aboard. The idea of Knots was born: a romantic drama set against the water that explored the process of letting go. The last piece of the puzzle came in the form of a seasoned female sailor I met in Buffalo NY a year later sailing in the Great Lakes. This gave us our protagonist, one that represents a majority of my sailing mentors, women, who are often underrepresented on screen. 

WHY NOW:

The natural wish for when we grow old is to be at peace. But what if we get there and that isn’t the case? The evolving conversation of mental health cannot remain exclusive to young people as our lives are forever in motion, ebb and flood. With an unapologetic late 60s protagonist, I seek to shine light on my parent’s generation as they retire. We stand on their shoulders, many of whom made extremely practical and difficult life choices in order for young adults like myself to pursue self-actualization. By nature, the rising tide of mental health awareness should lift all struggles, not just those of the latest generation. Thus, we must tell Carolyn's story now, so people of all ages know, they are not alone, not after covid, not after mass retirement, not ever.

With the summer season back in, now is the right time for us to shoot our film out on the sea with favourable filming conditions. We will finish post-production by the end of the year in order to hit the festival season right off the bat at the start of next year. We have begun pre-production of the film and secured two sailboats as well as a marina in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island where we would like to film. We have started casting for the film and will provide updates soon! 

WHY US:

Our main crew has worked with each other in different capacities over the past couple of years, making now the perfect time to collaborate and bring this story to life.

Justin's parents put him in Navy League Cadets at the age of 9 to focus his abundant energy and from there his connection to the water was set. Now he works as a deckhand aboard tall ships when taking breaks from film. For him, there are 2 places he feels most at home: on set and on the water. This project combines those two environments in a way that can seem daunting to some but is an endeavour to capture the pursuit of feeling at home. and in turn, a form of release, catharsis and Peace for audiences in the theatres. 

Justin's 1st ever film gig was as a 2nd Assistant Camera to 1stAC Brian Globus; they have since done many films together in various roles. Justin met Rob on set for a friend's own crowdfunding video shoot and soon found each other working on many shorts and a feature all while brainstorming how to shoot Knots. 

Sahil and Rob went to film school together, and have worked on two feature films together since. Sahil and Justin have also worked on 5 different productions in the past year itself, and our team is now ready to break through with a story personal to Justin, at a time when we have all garnered the experience required to do justice to a wonderful script. 



THE FINANCING:

This film is supported by the CineVic Dynamo Equipment Grant, which has already awarded us CAD 2,500 for production expenses and another CAD 5,000 for gear and equipment.

We're now looking to raise another CAD 2,600 by production so we can get some additional gear and equipment that is required for recreating ocean storm effects, and to be able to do justice to film in post-production by finding a great sound designer who can bring our Maritime drama to life.

OUR GOAL:

This project is an opportunity for a young and emerging BIPOC crew to showcase their storytelling and filmmaking abilities, and to create a platform which will eventually allow us to pursue Justin's passion project of a 'Detective Drama Series' about a retired coast guard captain. We aim to use this film to garner interest at festivals, credentials for our crew members, and help us secure bigger funding grants such as Telefilm Canada.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Intimate and Textured

Knots is a reality and time-bending immersion into Carolyn’s memory as she processes trauma in pursuit of a peaceful mind. We plan on achieving this feeling by employing techniques used in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and its depiction of memory through seamless practical effects. 

Another tool for achieving this is the use of lenses to portray the emotional state of the characters. We’ll be using 2 different types of specialty lenses. spherical lens to create a clean and sterile look contrasted with anamorphic lens with a nostalgic and textured look. 

For our colour palette, dark navy blues will be used to set the dramatic mood and palette of the sea. The red from Carolyn’s Coast Guard jacket symbolizes love and passion that has faded.

THE STORM: 

Carolyn loses her husband while crossing the horn. 

I am inspired by the tragedy of nautical dramas like All is Lost with Robert Redford and Adrift Tami Ashcroft's true story but we are realistic about what is achievable with a micro-budget and small team. Employing the idea of a “bottle episode”, this film focuses more heavily on Carolyn’s internal struggle and uses the nautical environment as a symbolic backdrop. 

When Carolyn relives the memory of losing her husband around Cape Horn, we stay with Carolyn in the cabin interior and use simple film tricks to create the violent storm:

• Using boat rigging techniques to rock the boat at a dock
• Fog and rain machines 
• Simulating a through hull breaking causing water to stray from the interior
• Using black duvetyn drops to cover the background.

THE SOUND: 

Sound is 50% of a film. Sound is inexplicably linked to the therapeutic experience of being by the water. 

To immerse our audience in Carolyn’s mind and memory our film will be scored by traditional instruments from the age of sailing like the Banjo and Concertina. While both instruments normally play upbeat and joyous tunes, we will be playing them slow and sparse to create melancholy nostalgia for older times. Using strings with their sliding notes and vibrato to accent the feeling of knots stretching and straining. Concertina bellows will accent the blowing winds.

YOUR SUPPORT:

If you'd like to join us in creating KNOTS and believe in IBPOC lead films and shameless pursuit of a peaceful mind, please consider financially partnering with us and supporting our campaign.

We also love a good share! If this project resonates with you, please share our SEED & SPARK campaign via email, social media, word of mouth, etc.