Rob Munday
Caring for someone with dementia is a mentally and physically demanding task. To capture these challenges on screen, a filmmaker must provide a visceral experience for their audience – something that directorial duo GRANDMAS masterfully achieves in their powerful short film Moon Under Water.
Their story follows Jack, a lonely individual caring for the man who raised him – his Uncle Glen. Opening with a scene of Jack dancing behind an obscure glass window, the film immediately signals that Moon Under Water will not be a traditional social realist portrayal. As the short progresses, we observe their daily routines and their attempt to break the monotony with a visit to the pub. Throughout, a sense of tension and frustration builds within Jack, with his only release seemingly coming from his dancing.
“We wanted to challenge ourselves to make something dramatic with zero jokes”
Drawing on their own personal experiences of both being carers for family members and their interactions with dementia sufferers, the desire to make Moon Under Water came on the back of the success of their previous short Norteños. With that film a bizarre comedy, the duo decided that this time around they wanted to challenge their directorial talents by making “something dramatic with zero jokes”.
However, while the pair intended to eliminate humour from this piece, they were determined not to compromise their “own odd artistic sensibilities”, which they had honed while directing a series of music videos. This distinctive visual flair was partly achieved through their decision, alongside DP Harry Wheeler, to shoot on 35mm film. Equipped with “a gigantic, fairly ancient 35mm camera” and some expired short ends of film, they managed to achieve the aesthetic they envisioned – a look that “landed somewhere between 16mm and full-frame 35mm” – despite a tight shooting schedule.
Tom Heyes, aka Blackhaine, puts in a powerful performance as Jack in Moon Under Water
Another driving force behind Moon Under Water was the duo’s desire to collaborate again with musician and choreographer Tom Heyes, also known as Blackhaine. After directing a music video featuring him a few years prior, they knew they wanted to write a role specifically for him, and this latest short film provided the perfect opportunity. In the role of Jack, Heyes delivers a captivating performance, whether dancing or quietly managing his uncle’s erratic behaviour, his intensity and authenticity make his portrayal compelling and impossible to ignore.
Developed with the BBC, Moon Under Water is quite the departure from Norteños. However, just like that previous film, this short is another strong showcase of their eclectic directorial talents. Something that obviously caught the attention of the industry, as the pair reveal they are “currently in development on a fair few TV shows and features”, with a fairly even split between comedy and drama.