There is something magical about being able to capture the awkwardness and innocence of coming of age. Everything also changes when you are a young lesbian coming into her own. The first relationship(s) you have and the people you choose to surround yourself with are crucial in how you succeed. Adding to the magic and creating a mythical experience, Isabel Daly’s Washed Up is a cute and touching romantic comedy. Made for the youth, this need not matter when any age is given the chance to enjoy and relate to the story being told on screen.
From writer Issy Brett comes this silly and touching tale rooted in lesbianism, Cornish language and folklore. An almost entire female cast and crew, Washed Up allows director Isabel Daly a chance to use her skills and craft a feature-length film for the big screen. In fact, the film made its world premiere at London’s LGBTQ+ film festival, BFI Flare, for its 40th edition. Such a perfect time and festival for Washed Up to premiere to the world.
Young Morwenna (Anna Ivankovic) is barely scraping by. As a struggling artist, she searches for inspiration while dealing with a recent breakup. Amidst all of this, the passing of her grandfather results in the sudden need to sell their seaside home. While on the beach one day, Morwenna meets charismatic Inga (Carys Glynne) and her life is forever changed. Inga is however, not all she seems. A selkie and a girl, how could they possibly make their ever developing relationship work? A question that is explored and possibly answered in Washed Up.
There is a hook thrown into the beginning in which you are brought to both the start and end of their story, and then everything in between these moments that you are about to see. Though prior films might have done this before, this introduction feels like such a welcoming and fitting way to allow audiences to enter Washed Up. If you are not sure what a selkie is, not to worry. Brett and Daly thought everything through in the crafting of this world. Through Brett’s script and Daly’s creative eye, nothing is left unexplained.
When it comes to young queers, something feels so right about the protagonist being a struggling artist. In Washed Up, Morwenna (or Scummy) is just that. Her being an artist gives the character the chance to be awkward, scared and silly. An additional element of creativity is placed in this colourful film. Ivankovic brings these layers to Scummy giving her authenticity and a relatable childlike quality. You need both Scummy and Inga to feel familiar and relatable, especially with the target audience being young queers. Not only does this come from how Brett created her characters, but from Ivankovic and Glynne’s portrayals as well.
Washed Up might follow the developing relationship between two young girls, but it is the way in which both of them grow as people that means the most for the audience. While watching the film, you are brought into the magic of the Cornish language and the folklore tales. As a young lesbian myself, I can understand the awkwardness of Scummy finding a new relationship. When they are falling in love, you feel that giddiness of new relationship emotions. Ivankovic and Glynne’s chemistry is a sensation that can be felt through the screen. From the moment they lock eyes on each other, these emotions are carried throughout the film. No matter what they face in and around their relationship, the feeling of love they have for each other is evident to be long lasting.
A lot is accomplished in Washed Up. Not so much in terms of the film plot itself, though stunning and lovely, but through what the cast and crew were able to bring to the screen. Working as an almost all female crew, creating a new queer story for young girls, and representing it all in such a colourful and visual way. Bringing the craft to life lies in the talent of Brett and Daly’s vision combined with the chemistry and love from Ivankovic and Glynne. As the protagonists bring their characters to life, the story is further heightened with the visual elements the viewer is privy to enjoy. Washed Up is an exemplary film made with the remembrance of a young girl at heart.