Between Waves – a metaphysical love story within a parallel universe

BETWEEN WAVES is a science fiction dramatic feature film aboμt a woman’s pursuit to join her missing lover by crossing into a parallel dimension. Even after his presumed death, Jamie continues to be visited by her lover Isaac, a quantum physicist, who pleads for her to join him in a parallel plane. Jamie follows a map and notebook Isaac’s left for her and embarks on a journey to the island of Siio Miguel in the Azores.

At the centre of the Atlantic Ocean, Jamie begins to untangle the truth of what really happened the night Isaac disappeared, learning that she had a greater part in it than she cares to remember. Burdened by a police investigation back home, and in turmoil about her choice to terminate her pregnancy, Jamie’s haunted by Isaac’s inter-dimensional visits as he persuades her to join him.

Jamie hopes to get some clarity when Isaac’s former research partner, Renata, shows up on the island to help. Does Renata believe Jamie or is she just after the notebook Isaac’s left behind? Straddling a fine line between enlightenment and madness, how far will Jamie go before she’s in too deep?

The island of Siio Miguel itself is also a character in the film-a temperamental moody reflection of Jamie’s anguish and healing. An island of volcanic origin, Siio Miguel’s rich soil, temperate climate and pristine ocean have endowed it with many natural wonders. Siio Miguel’s mix of fire and water is tranquil but dynamic, at once dangerous but also of unparalleled splendour. As Jamie explores the island, its chaos and beauty mirrors her own inner struggle, pushing her to make choices she couldn’t have imagined. Through the maelstrom, she remembers her past, a deep love that gave her meaning, and plunges into the present where she learns the truth hidden deep within herself.

Director’s Statement

The making of BETWEEN WAVES was a particular point in time and place where everything perfectly aligned. The ideal opportunities opened up, the right people were onboard, and the technology was available to tell this visually rich story with limited resources. We shot in over thirty-five locations and on two continents. We never stopped moving and I never wanted it to end. I feel that all of our creative synergy was burned into this film. The making of it is an adventure I will always cherish. We had to be resourceful in everything we did. Alex Jordan, our lead producer and a master of DIY filmmaking, always had a plan b in his back pocket and excelled at negotiating, which went a long way when making a film on borrowed hard drives. And I am eternally grateful to the talent and hard work of our crew and cast.

BETWEEN WAVES is shot with the Alexa Mini on the Ronin 2 gimbal, which Jason Webber, our Director of Photography, wore most of the shoot. This gave the film a lovely flow, allowing for both intimacy and immediacy. The lighting scheme was designed around working with existing light and primarily taking away light. Jason and I agreed to challenge ourselves by trying to find non-traditional coverage, as long as it didn’t compromise the story. This spirit of play and experimentation was carried through the film to every department and into editing where Jeremy Schau/in-Rioux and I found the flow of the film and our composer Steve Krecklo gave a heartbeat This story was first ignited over a decade ago by my love affair with the island of Siio Miguel. The island itself is a character in the film, a temperamental moody reflection of our protagonist’s anguish and flux.

When co-writer Katherine Andrews and I first started working on the script, I went down to New York City and worked with Fiona Graham, who plays Jamie, and together we built our main character. Over several years, as we crafted the story, we would send drafts to Fiona for comments. Katherine and I also went to NYC to workshop scenes with her. This creative collaboration, from the very start, rooted Fiona’s connection with Jamie and was instrumental in my directing relationship with her.

This story about choice and duality is a contemplation on existence. Is it a story of maddening guilt and griet or a story of discovery and enlightenment? Is Jamie glimpsing parallel planes, or is it madness? I’ve often wondered this myself as I watched someone very close to me battle with mental illness. The existence of a multiverse as a consequence of our choices has been a longtime fascination. In multiverse theory, there are infinite dimensions whvere reality differs from our own, created as a consequence of choi,a.. Jamie is mired in indecision and must navigate a web of possibilities. When making vital choices, what do we remember? What reality d construct? What do we need to tell ourselves to move on? As the unravels, it takes the audience to a place they didn’t expect bott, � and conceptually. BETWEEN WAVES is a cerebral, fast-paced, science fiction sto� soul of a drama. I’m very excited to take the audience on this journey, which starts in Toronto, moves to the Azores, and pe ends in a parallel world.