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Breakwater is a psychological drama set between Oxford and the Suffolk coast, exploring how we connect, forgive and grieve for both others and ourselves. It follows the relationship between Otto, a university student, and John, a retired angler who lives on the coast who bond over shared trauma of losing a loved one.

Breakwater is my feature film debut and the University of Oxford’s first feature film made by students since Privileged (1982). Our production is grateful to have the support of Privileged’s alumni including Andy Paterson, Mike Hoffman and Lord Neil Mendoza, Provost of Oriel College.

Breakwater received its world premiere at Raindance Film Festival in June 2025, where it was the festival’s most-nominated film. It won Best Feature at the London Independent Film Festival and North East International Festival in October 2025.

Making Breakwater

Having grown up in rural Suffolk, I have always felt deeply connected to the shingle beaches and windswept mudflats of its coastline. I have long wanted to create a film that was not only tethered to its brooding yet golden landscape, but was also influenced and defined by it. This impulse, combined with my desire to explore the interplay between longing, and grief, quickly gave rise to Breakwater, following Otto's cautious relationship with John, a mysterious and solitary angler at the fringe of his coastal community.

Breakwater also draws heavily from the films I adore and see myself reflected in, such as the eerie, secretive coastal palettes of Mark Jenkin's Bait (2019), Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank (2009), and Michael Pearce's Beast (2017). Equally significant is Benjamin Britten’s 1945 opera, Peter Grimes, inspired by the same stretch of Suffolk coast where we shot the film. Breakwater faintly echoes the story of the eponymous fisherman, whose line 'I hear those voices that will not be drowned' is carved into Maggie Hambling’s iconic 'Scallop' sculpture on Aldeburgh beach which becomes such a vital symbol in the film.