Animated by Marieka Walsh with DOP Consultant Matt Horrex ACS.
An old-fashioned sailing vessel navigates the slight swell on an empty expanse of ocean. A sea mist is thickening, but the rigging of the tall ship is clearly visible, as are the contours of clouds in the night sky. The mood is ghostly and foreboding.
A tender fable of an ageing sea captain (voiced by Colin Friels), who risks the lives of his men when he decides to change course, taking his ship through a violent storm. The Crossing is an eleven-minute stop frame animation made entirely out of sand and salt.
The Crossing premiered at the Annecy International Animation Festival in France, and had its Australian premiere last year at the Sydney Film Festival, where it won Best Short Animation. If you get a chance to see The Crossing, do so immediately.
Reviewed by Vanessa Abbott as part of the Short Film Program at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017.