Reflective Encounters

“Rhetoric and chest-thumping about immigration to the UK has led the country to one of the strictest and most arbitrary immigration systems on Earth. For international sailors and fishermen who pass by British waters, this proves needlessly tricky, with strict limits on how many days one is allowed to stay ashore. The Bayview takes a look at the lives of these sailing communities through the eyes of a family in Macduff, Scotland, who run a B’n’B catering specifically to the workers of the sea.

Much of our time is spent following the day-to-day life of the gentle Matthew, who helps his mother run the place. He’s an amicable, relaxed character; director Daniel Cook’s decision to follow events and document their unfurling naturally allows for a relaxing and empathetic embrace of a particular place at a particular time, enlivened by the souls who pass by. Left in the background are tantalisingly unanswered questions about identity, with Matthew’s adoptive mum pointing out that his being a person of colour in a predominantly white context gives him a very specific relationship with the tired and hungry folks who step ashore, many of whom are also people of colour from the Global South. Although Matthew may not have all the answers that his newfound role requires of him, The Bayview seems to suggest that the journey is what matters, not the destination.”

— Fedor Tot