Two Years at Sea

Jake Williams leads a sober, self-sufficient life in the middle of the Scottish Highlands. With only a cat for company, he spends his days sawing branches, building a tree house and making a raft to bob around the loch. During one of his walks, he takes a nap in the misty fields – he’s a man in no great hurry. Rather than painting a conventional portrait, his mysterious actions, which are shot in black-and-white, principally draw the viewer into this world Jake has made for himself. He is a loner engaged in strange projects, living in sensitive interaction with nature. When he sleeps, we see the reflections of leaves on his window, giving the impression that his face is merging with the surrounding vegetation. In this world, shifts in light and dark are more important than words. This year, director Ben Rivers won the EYE Prize, which is awarded to a work that straddles the boundaries of art and film.