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Bait (15)

Two fishermen in some sort of cave

One of the most original films made in recent years, Mark Jenkin’s story of Cornish brothers divided between tradition and tourism is a textured social portrait, blending pathos and wry humour. 

In a Cornish town, fisherman Martin (Edward Rowe) struggles with gentrification as the tourist trade begins to threaten his livelihood, with Londoners moving in for the summer and taking over local spaces as their own – in particular, pub owners Sandra and Tim Leigh (Mary Woodvine and Simon Sheperd). 


Shot on 16mm in stark and grainy black & white, the film feels rough-hewn, making the village tangible. Full of choice words, blunt humour and a real conversation about the future of communities, Bait is both one of the most realistic and one of the most imaginative films of the year. 

Tagged with: Cinema New releases

UK 2019 Dir Mark Jenkin 89 min

‘It’s a genuine modern masterpiece, which establishes Jenkin as one of the most arresting and intriguing British film-makers of his generation.‘
‘What is cinema for? To delight? To tell stories? To illuminate the rifts in this fractured world? By any of these measures, Bait is a triumph.‘

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