Flood

James Phillips

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781350060128
• eBook ISBN: 9781350060555
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: British Drama

She came to us one dawn. The girl. Far out
One dawn alone beneath the wine dark sea.
One day it starts to rain and no-one knows why. And it doesn't stop. Far out on the North Sea a fisherman raises a girl in his net, miraculously alive from the deep sea. Is she one of the migrants now washing up on English shores? Or someone sent for some higher purpose?
Commissioned by Hull UK City of Culture 2017 this epic and extraordinary collaboration between multi-award-winning artists James Phillips and Slung Low is the culmination of a year-long project. Four parts told across three different mediums, this complete text includes four stunningly written dramas that ask fundamental questions about our future, our communities and our collective responsibilities.
"A State of the Nation Parable" BBC Arts
"Visually stunning, and deeply moving" The Stage

Flood, Part I: From The Sea

A Short Film

Cast

In order of appearance

The Captain	Oliver Senton
Sam	Marc Graham
Gloriana	Nadia Emam

Creative Team

Director	Alan Lane
Designer	David Farley
Composer	Heather Fenoughty
Sound Designer	Matt Angove
Producer	Joanna Resnick
Executive Producer	Laura Clark
Film Production Company	Sodium
For Sodium
Director for Screen	Rob Booker
Producer for Screen	Phil Barber
Cinematographer	Matt Gentleman
Script Supervisor	Lia Hayes
1^st AC	Andrew Barr
BTS Photography	Sam Conner
Storyboard Artist	Andrew Lamb
Editor & Colourist	Lia Hayes
Visual Effects	Peter Gee
Sound Mix & Design	Ray Hill

The Space

Commissioning Executive	Helen Spencer
Head of Audience Development
and Distribution	Owen Hopkin

Flood, Part One: From The Sea was commissioned by Hull UK City of Culture 2017 & The Space.

The short film was released online on 27 February 2017 and toured to supermarket car parks across Hull for a week in an Airstream caravan.

Filmed on the North Sea and in Holbeck, south Leeds.

1. EXT. DAWN. NORTH SEA

The dark, empty sea, sun rising.

In the distance a storm, lightning coming down: a patch of darkness in an untroubled sky.

2. INT. DAWN. FISHING TRAWLER BASTION

The cluttered cabin of a North Sea Trawler. The Captain sits at the table, oblivious to the motion of the sea. He is surrounded by papers.

He is in his late 40s, tanned, dressed practically for the rigours of the cold sea. He is writing by hand, pen and ink.

POV Captain: the page in front of him, a letter barely begun, written in his precise handwriting. ‘Natasha –’ and then a blank page.

The Captain hears a noise at the door to the cabin, looks up.

POV Captain: Sam, the First Mate, stands at the door.

The Captain conceals his letter under pages of hand-scrawled figures and business calculations.

Sam It’s time.

3. EXT. DAWN. DECK OF FISHING TRAWLER BASTION

Wide: The fishing trawler alone and isolated in the North Sea.

Now the Captain and Sam on the deck, surrounded by the machinery of the trawler. The Captain looks out to sea, sees the distant storm.

Captain Coming for us?

Sam Leaving.

A scarce shrug from the Captain.

He leans over the side, looks down into the dark, shrouded waters.

Captain Let’s get on with it.

Now we see the machinery moving, hauling in huge nets from the deep. Mechanical sounds.

The first nets arriving.

Gannets and gulls circling, landing on the water: a dark swarm, looking for fish.

4. EXT. DAWN. DECK OF FISHING TRAWLER BASTION

The net rising from the sea. Empty.

The Captain and Sam watching, on deck, unimpressed.

Captain No harvest.

Sam What do we do?

Captain Try again.

Captain turns away.

Sam Lower the nets!

5. EXT. DAWN. FISHING TRAWLER BASTION

Close Up: The trawler winch heaving and spluttering heavily as it tries to pull up the next net.

Sam Jammed!

The Captain approaching the mechanism, a tool in his hand.

Suddenly the winch starts to move quickly, pulling up the net with speed. The Captain steps back, surprised.

Sam Net coming! –

And the net comes fast out of the water.

The net is empty of fish. Instead a hundred migrants’ orange life jackets fill it. The Captain moves towards it, shocked. He pulls at the net to release the bottom. The life jackets tumble out. Arranged within them, nestled in perfect sy...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Introduction
• Contents
• Part I: From The Sea
• Part II: Abundance
• Part III: To The Sea
• Part IV: New World
• eCopyright