Open Water

DEBUT In a contemporary south London dance hall, a man looks into a woman’s eyes; in that moment, the pent-up fear and anger that afflict his psyche as a Black man are released. He’s a photographer, she’s a dancer, both are Black Britons who somewhat uncomfortably attended private school on scholarship; in her he senses that he could find a home where he would no longer have to guard his emotions. She would be the steady hand beneath the child’s back as he learns to float in open water. The nameless characters reveal themselves through a shared appreciation for film, literature, and music, as they make the tricky journey from friendship to something deeper. In these safe spaces, they can be vulnerable, ignoring the constant worry that one or the other of them will become the victim of a sudden injustice based on their skin color. But then, in the haven of his barbershop, a violent encounter reinforces his forebodings, causing him to retreat from the optimistic future that she represents.