In Fading Light

Synopsis: The film centres on the upheaval caused in a traditional fishing community by the unexpected arrival of a young woman. A tale of epic proportions, life and death, emotional conflict, told with a documentary realism that denies melodrama.

Amber’s experience in the integration of actors with "real life", combined with twenty years of documenting working lives in the North East, lends the film a unique authenticity. The actors who play the fishing boat crew spent time before filming began, out at sea on working Shields boats in order to acclimatise themselves to the unique environment; They were able to observe and work alongside the fishermen and bring back their experiences to influence the script.

Tom Hadaway’s tragic/comic dialogue, the stunning visual quality (it took months to overcome the problems of filming at sea, something that has very rarely if ever been attempted in a drama of this scale), and the veracity of the performances combine, not just to tell a moving story, but to give the audience experience of a way of life.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Year of release: 1990
Year of production: 1989
Subjects: Drama; Sociology
Keywords: dramatised documentary films; fishing communities; North-eastern England

This record has been viewed 400 times.