BLACK CHURCH BAY

Barry, a middle-aged professor who hides his homosexuality, sets off on a weekend sailing trip with Jasper, his 18-year-old student, who is openly gay. Away from prying eyes, the two hope to freely live out their relationship. On the second night of the trip, however, Jasper disappears. After searching unsuccessfully, Barry decides to return home, clinging to the hope that the boy is safe. In the days that follow, he resumes his routine, but Jasper’s absence begins to raise concerns at the school and in the community. Barry thus finds himself caught in a dilemma: should he hope for his lover’s return, or hope that his story and his involvement remain shrouded in silence forever?

“Black Church Bay is the culmination of my thematic obsessions – a mystery/thriller exploring notions of acceptance, authenticity and repression; how it is often our contradictions that define who we are and what we become. There is nothing more compelling in cinema than secrets, whether big, small, shared or buried. Scandal and paranoia fuel Black Church Bay, however, beneath the salacious surface is a serious investigation into how conforming – and the privileges that go along with that – is a form of social survivalism; how denial can manifest and toxify – driving destructive decisions and fuelling transgression.”