TAKING THE BAIT

Film critic Mark Kermode called it a masterpiece – and he was far from alone in his praise. We catch up with Cornish film maker Mark Jenkin about his hit Bait and what’s next for the BAFTA winning film maker

If you haven’t heard about Bait – where have you been? The black-and-white British arthouse sleeper hit of 2019 was privately financed and shot on a vintage 16mm camera.

Set in a Cornish fishing village, it chronicles a Cornish coastal town under threat from modernity. The drama revolves around siblings Martin and Steven (played by Kernow King Edward Rowe and Giles King respectively). Martin barely makes a living selling his catch door-to-door, while his brother, uses their late father’s boat to earn a living taking rowdy, moneyed tourists on sightseeing trips. The story is widely interpreted as a parable of Cornwall’s past and present and its current reliance on tourism.

But as much as the story, the gorgeous rough grain and composition of the film is compelling. The film is entirely on a 1976 clockwork 16mm Bolex. Shot entirely silently, sound was later added, lending it a dream-like quality which has drawn comparisons to 20th century filmmakers Breson and Tarkovsky, the fathers of art house cinema.

His use of a low-tech camera was born out of necessity, but the end result has created a unique film making style that has been at least part of the film’s success.

Jenkin faced down accusations the film was too parochial to do well outside of Cornwall, but its national – and international – success has shown how transferable the story really is.