Image courtesy Jane Darke
Nick and Jane Darke on Perranporth, courtesy Jane Darke

When a southwest gale blows for three days, artefacts and natural objects from across the world arrive on these shores. The north coast of Cornwall is one of the best collection points in the world for long-haul drift.

The celebrated playwright Nick Darke was raised on a beach in Cornwall. His father, grandfather and great grandfather had all gone to work on ships in the merchant navy so he grew up with an understanding of the sea and wind and how they worked together. Despite this he was still amazed and delighted when he discovered strange messages and wild debris from the Americas washed up on the Cornish coast.

First broadcast in 2005, The Wrecking Season follows Nick onto the beach during a stormy winter, recording his discoveries and tracing them back to their sources – a process through which he gradually built up a unique picture of coastal communities around the Atlantic, making friends with fishermen, scientists, oceanographers and fellow beachcombers along the way.

The film will be introduced by Jane Darke, who filmed and directed this evocative documentary portrait of her husband, who sadly died shortly after its release on BBC4. Jane is a writer, filmmaker and artist based in Tregona Chapel, from where she runs workshops and curates the St Eval Archive. Her book Held by the Sea was published by Souvenir Press in 2011 and her latest, Island Mind, about the human species and Earth systems, is near completion. Jane contributed to Lockdown Lives a series of reflections on life during the global pandemic published by CAST this summer.

To book please call CAST Café during opening hours (Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm) on 01326 569267 or email [email protected] and a member of the Café team will be in touch.

The screening space will be laid out to ensure social distancing between households or bubbles. To maximise the number of people we can accommodate it would be very helpful if you could book as a group. Please let us know as soon as possible if there are any changes to your numbers.

Friday 16 October 2020 7pm Admission £10 (concessions £8) including CAST Café supper from 6pm

Booking essential

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