Set against the backdrop of Southern England's serene waterways, a group of friends gather for a sunny weekend reunion on a narrowboat steered by canal boat novice Jon (Jon Foster). Loaded with booze, the gang - Jon, Red (Robyn Isaac), Zooby (Jamie Zubairi) and Simon (Simon Meacock) - swiftly revert to their playful youth. The four unwind, taking in the lush surroundings and sharing banter like the old days. But what soon becomes apparent is that something unspoken is bubbling beneath the surface...
Subtle, honest and packed with humour, TIDES is the arresting debut feature of Tupaq Felber, which premiered at London Film Festival in 2017. Shot in black and white in real time over a few days and loosely scripted in a collaborative effort with the cast, Felber's unique, naturalistic approach brings a refreshing edge to British film, and with TIDES creates a visually striking and truthful observation on love, loss and friendship.
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Reviews
"Much can be said about Tupaq Felber's debut film TIDES. Some have called it a masterpiece of naturalistic film, others a laid-back, low-key piece... For me it can be seen as the successor of the great works of Ozu, Wenders and Cassavetes"
Front Row Reviews
"superb... funny, sad, utterly captivating... Tides is an indie triumph and one of my films of the year."
The Movie Waffler
"Gorgeously shot... one hell of a debut... glorious... Felber's future in filmmaking looks bright. Tides has an authenticity to it that's hard to come by... Levinson's Diner and Kasdan's The Big Chill come to mind"
The Upcoming
"Beautifully shot and expertly acted."
HeyUGuys
"Masterfully layered, this is naturalistic filmmaking at its best... Loosely scripted in collaboration with the cast, Felber's dialogue is terrific... This is slick visual stuff... Felber captures perfectly the pleasures and the set-backs of growing older - and growing-up - through the prism of friendship. A very enjoyable and self-assured debut"
Film-News
"Likeable, laid-back and low-key... crisp black-and-white cinematography, heartfelt performances and relaxed, improv-type dialogue... a gentle, charming study of loneliness."
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
"remarkable and beautifully paced... superb black and white cinematography... terrific... Something of a gem."
D-Movies
"haunting and alluring nautical voyage of emotional discovery... Internal struggles simmer throughout, their eventual reveal providing a well-earned and refreshingly subtle emotional release. The filmmakers intentionally avoid any kind of emotional manipulation. Tides is, at heart, a meditation on the redemptive capability of friendship, and one well worth going with... An unapologetically genuine portrait of companionship that boldly abandons cinematic convention.”"
Little White Lies
"a credibly acted portrait of middle aged friendship"
Total Film
"still waters run deep... its portrayal of the realities of long-term friendship is charmingly authentic"
The List
"Tides rings with authenticity."
Radio Times
"An intimate, touching film"
Waterways World
"a genuine discovery... an intimate and insightful piece of work... Shot in striking black and white, Felber cleverly infuses his low-key drama with a sense of the cinematic... his is a name we will be hearing much more of in the future."