Reflective Encounters

Through the gritty black and white 16mm film, the sea hits the cliffs of 1735 Cornwall during a violent tempest. Trengellick Rising revives Kernewek, the Cornish language that until recently has been considered extinct.

Inspired by early cinema’s silent film, Trengellick Rising employs exaggerated performances and distinct cuts. The exploration of Cornish historical culture is weaved with a dramatic soundtrack and a story based around morality and survival. In the film, nobody seems purely innocent and ambiguities arise among the rough appeal of scratches and flashes of the hand-processed celluloid. The windy seascapes present throughout the work seem to capture the vehemence of the characters’ instincts, which are driven by either upholding the honour code, or self-preservation.

Jago, the protagonists’ superior on the remote shore, not only gathers riches from wrecked war ships, but is also seen attacking a female survivor. From a feminist perspective, it’s the second act that condemns his character, making him appear as driven by greed and violence rather than by the preservation of himself and his community. But perhaps this unredeemable quality is necessary to underline the complexity of challenges faced by people driven to extremes, starting a discussion around the changes affecting the Cornish trade “from wrecking to mining, fishing to tourism”, as the film suggests, drawing attention to the heritage of Cornwall’s culture and identity.

— Patrycja Loranc