Seafarers
Documentary (2017)dir: Eleanor Mortimer
Travelling Everywhere, But Seeing Nowhere
The largest container port in Britain sees hundreds of cargo ships come and go a month, vessels manned largely by Filipino seafarers. When a ship comes to dock in Felixstowe most of the sailors aren’t allowed to go into town because of passport restrictions, so they stay inside the port boundaries and while away the hours inside the Seafarers Centre.
It’s a tiny little condensed corner of England, complete with a bar, souvenirs, phone booths, snooker tables, and a rickety piano. This entirely observational short film is a lyrical portrait of this pocket of warmth that comes to represent England to those who are unable to visit it.
Press:
Featured: New York Times
Credits
Director: Eleanor Mortimer
Producer: Matt Diegan
Edit: Nina Rac
Original Score: Fraya Thomsen
Colourist: Steve Atkins