Jessica Dowse’s Float is a poignant, understated short film that resonated with audiences at the 7th edition of Brighton Rocks. With quiet precision, Dowse explores how fleeting human connections—even unlikely ones—can pierce through isolation, offering moments of unexpected clarity.
The sea here is no passive setting but a dynamic, almost antagonistic force. Dowse avoids clichéd depictions of coastal serenity, instead capturing the water’s raw power: churning waves, wind-tossed laughter, and the uneven drag of pebbles underfoot. Her framing underscores the ocean’s duality—both isolating and unifying, threatening and restorative—mirroring the emotional tension at the film’s core.
A standout sequence shows Ruth battling the waves, her panic made visceral through brilliant technical choices. The grey sea and sky bleed together, erasing horizons through cinematography. The soundtrack swells like an approaching storm, becoming Ruth’s racing heartbeat before releasing into quiet as she surfaces. This isn’t just tension and release – it’s the film’s emotional core.
What makes Float special is how it balances solitude against community. While other women laugh together in the waves, Ruth and Sam’s halting conversation reveals raw vulnerability. Dowse doesn’t offer easy resolutions – the ocean simply watches, indifferent yet somehow healing. Their swim becomes less about overcoming and more about being present in the struggle.
Float succeeds by finding profundity in small moments. A shared glance, the relief of catching breath, vinegar-soaked chips and the way salt water can simultaneously sting and cleanse – these become the film’s quiet revelations. In the end, Dowse suggests that connection, however brief, can be enough to keep us afloat.
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