For his third feature, Cornish filmmaker Mark Jenkin returns to the place he knows best for a drama with a science fiction twist that spans and connects generations, Rose of Nevada, which begins its Canadian rollout in theatres starting July 10 after premiering last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The writer-director who also made the likes of critically acclaimed and challenging films Bait and Enys Men sets Rose of Nevada once again in his own backyard, weaving a story of two down-on-their-luck men – played by George MacKay and Callum Turner – stuck in a seaside community with few tangible employment opportunities. Nick, played by MacKay, is a family man who needs money to care for his wife, daughter, and mother inside of a house that’s starting to fall apart. Liam, played by Turner, is a bit of a freewheeling layabout, but he won’t turn down any opportunity to make some money. They both find spots aboard the Rose of Nevada, a fishing vessel that has mysteriously reappeared at the docks after going missing decades earlier. They’re shown the ropes at sea by an old salt who agrees to captain the three man crew (played by Francis Magee, an actor who used to be a fisherman in real life), but upon their return ashore, the community seems to have changed. The once quiet and desolate streets are now bustling like it’s the mid-1990s again. The pub is always packed. And Nick and Liam are mistaken for the sailors who disappeared aboard the last voyage of the Rose of Nevada.
We talked with the articulate and thoughtful Jenkin about Rose of Nevada, what he would tell about port city life to people who’ve never visited one or have only been there on holiday, the film’s themes of community and how the pandemic impacted the direction of the story, and balancing the realities of the fishing industry with the more fantastical elements of the narrative.
Rose of Nevada opens Princess Twin Cinemas in Waterloo and Screening Room in Kingston on Friday, July 10. It opens at City Cinema in Charlottetown on July 14, and expands to additional cities on July 17, including a Canadian exclusive run on 35mm at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto. It will continue expanding to additional Canadian cities throughout July and August.
