LHR to JHB
HD video : 12 minutes : colour : stereo : 2002

Like most, this project has several basic starting points - a television advert for beer and a developed sense of self-loathing. For most of 2001 and 2002 I lived in Europe, one year in Dublin, the other in London. I worked as a graphic designer and participated in the ongoing brain-drain adversely affecting South Africa’s development. In London I saw a television advert that showed several Britons adrift at sea in a small inflatable dingy who were obviously the survivors of some wreck or accident. The narrative of the advert concerned not the horrors of survival but rather their thirst for the particular brand of beer being promoted. The dialogue was not the desperate, stereotypical lifeboat statement of ‘Water! Water!’, but rather ‘Brand of beer! Brand of beer!’ It was a lame advert, as most are, but it looked really good, as most do. The polished formalism initiated my thinking on a possible fictional narrative for a video that could articulate, as well as mimic, the voluntary South African alienation and London-induced drowning of identity I was experiencing at the time.

The short film LHR to JHB begins with a view of the open sea at dawn, after several seconds the camera pans across to a standard commercial life raft adrift at sea. The title and the presence of the life raft allude to a fictional 747 crash landing into the sea en route from London to Johannesburg. On board are numerous versions of myself: young, educated, white, middle-class South Africans returning home from London - some with saved money, others with property in England and most with one eye on their return ticket. The narrative concerns three survivors of this fictional accident - 230 passengers and crew died following an explosion a little while after an improbable, but successful, crash landing in the Mediterranean Sea half-way between Africa and Europe - an emotional position I unsuccessfully claimed to occupy for most of my time in London.

The three survivors swim to and occupy a deployed life raft issued to all 747’s in the event of a crash landing at sea. After a day on the raft they sight possible rescue but all attempts to make themselves visible fail and they continue to drift. A slow leak sustained during a nighttime collision with a piece of plane debris causes the raft to slowly deflate. Over several hours the raft sinks and the three survivors, after initially treading water, give-up any prospect of rescue and promptly drown. The final shot is of the open sea at dawn, matching the opening shot and allowing the loop to seamlessly begin again. The preselected three must then repeat their unsuccessful return home from London – endlessly and without resolution.

Some of the South Africans I met in London saw themselves as ‘economic refugees’, citing a developing economy coupled with an apparent lack of employment opportunity and security as motivating factors for leaving the country. The fatal passage, in the video, of these three South Africans between so-called ‘centre’ and ‘periphery’ represents an ironic mimicry of the economically and politically motivated (and often perilous) gravitation of ‘boat people’ from North Africa to Southern Europe; from the Caribbean to the United States and from the Far East to Australia. These awkward colonials trapped in a life raft are no more plausible as ‘boat people’ as are their claims to be economic refugees. Their mortal journey from centre to periphery is directionally opposite to the typical migrations of ‘boat people’, coupled with the fact that they are going home to family and hot weather to spend saved-up Sterling, aided by a favourable exchange rate. Most South Africans move to London because of familial connections, the language advantage or want of ‘a change of scene’ but not because they face certain political persecution or poverty in their home country.

A life raft is an advanced tool for survival, but in the context of this project, continued existence is defined as the retention of identity, with the raft as the metaphoric means to do so. Having chosen to be isolated and adrift as participants in the South African brain-drain, and over time to give-up attempting further rescue (a return to habitual self), the three survivors turn in on themselves and dissolve like effervescent tablets into the sea. Hence, the metaphoric drowning of their vague identities – a process that occurs in some affected antipodes living within the societal bosom of the former coloniser.

A life raft is a specifically developed form of refuge - look to J.W.M. Turner’s studies of boats in raging storms and Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee, 1633. The term refuge defined as physical protection in an environment perceived as hazardous, but a life raft is also a unique form of captivity too, for the visual symbolism of prospect is embodied in the distant, unattainable views of the horizon - look to Gericault’s Raft of the Medusa, 1819. His portrayal of the survivors of the doomed Medusa straining to attract the attention of the distant speck of a tall-ship on the horizon represents a frozen moment of desperate optimism and potential rescue. However, having an historical knowledge of the actual event portrayed causes the moment to defrost – the viewer ‘knows how this one ends’ and moves on. But perhaps they are not informed and instead, linger for a bit longer unsure of how it all ends. The tension and power of Gericault’s image comes from the smallest element of the painting, the ship is so tiny and so far away that surely it cannot possibly see the raft in the vastness of the ocean? But it does and the real survivors of the Medusa were saved – but nearly two centuries later Gericault’s figures are still stretching to the horizon unsure of their fate.

For exhibition, LHR to JHB would be projected as a loop which hopes to mimic the narrative freeze of Gericault’s painting, however the medium of video also allows for a linear narrative within a broader circular one. The three survivors do all drown at the end of each individual segment but its continuous looping is constructed as a circular narrative, whereby the opening shot of the empty sea at dawn is identical to the closing shot of the empty sea at dusk – the loop is seamless. The survivors are stuck in a limbo halfway between Europe and Africa – they dissolve into the sea in the final scene only to be proverbially resurrected the ‘next day’ as the loop begins again at dawn. Reminiscent of the plight of Prometheus, they are doomed to eternally relive their fatal journey without the finality of either death or rescue.

LHR to JHB Characters:

Justin Quinn
A high school graduate originally from Durban, he was returning to South Africa for the first time in over a year. He was living in London with his sister in Earl’s Court and worked in construction. He had never been abroad before going to London and hoped to save up enough money to visit Australia before his work visa expired.
Deliberate, physical, clumsy.

Michael Evans
A journalist originally from Johannesburg, he was returning to South Africa for a short stay. He worked two copywriting jobs, but planned to some day command a London-based publishing enterprise. He had a British passport and had been living in London for almost 6 years in Old Street.
Quiet, active, scheming.

Robert Mayes
An IT consultant originally from Cape Town, his mum lives in London, he was returning to South Africa for the short holiday to see his father he took every year since moving. He hated London but saw the decision to live there as a means to some sort of ill-defined end. His stay was of indeterminate length, having lived in London over 3 years already with a work visa sponsored by his employer. He planned to buy property in London and eventually move back to South Africa, but only after having secured a British passport. He lived in King’s Cross.
Brisk, rapid, nervous.

LHR to JHB Script:

starts...

SCENE 1
A 747 flight from London to Johannesburg has crashed into the Mediterranean sea: exactly half-way between Africa and Europe.

1A
open to:
(just before dawn: no visible sun) a medium shot of the empty sea to the horizon.

1B
cut to:
(still just before dawn) close-up shot of Justin swimming through the sea, comes to a deployed life raft and gasps for breath. Justin languidly drags himself over the tubing and remains lying on the raft floor, just a foot sticks out.

1C
cut to:
(7:00) medium shot of Robert swimming slowly up to the raft and is helped over tubing by Justin. Some excited dialog from Justin.

1D
cut to:
(8:30) medium shot of Michael swimming up to raft and is helped over again by Justin [kneeling next to tubing] and Robert, who at the start of the shot stands in the canopy opening covered by a space blanket. Once in the raft Michael is talked to by Justin and Robert – Michael removes jersey and is then given space blanket by Robert.

… fade out to black and into…

SCENE 2
sight of rescue - this scene has most action – quite long with numerous shots + actions – cut in mid-defeat. Scene opens to a medium close shot of whole raft, jerseys and shirts are draped over the raft’s canopy to dry – flaps are tied up. A bright, sunny summer day - 11:30 throughout.

2A
open to:
medium close shot of Justin sitting with back to camera on the raft tubing with a t-shirt on his head.

2B
cut to:
close-up of Michael speaking abstractly more to himself than to the others – asking where they are from, what happened to plane, what they should do next.

2C
cut to:
close-up of Robert sitting with back against tubing, speaking abstractly – in part responding to Michael’s dialogue, but also just small talking.

2D
cut to:
close-up of Michael and Justin standing, speaking abstractly and looking around to the horizon - asking each other where they’re from, what just happened to plane, what to do next, etc. Michael sits down – Justin looks around for several seconds then shot cuts.

2E / 2F
cut to:
medium close shot of raft – all are lying about in the sun. Michael and Justin are just visible in the sun, mostly heads, shoulders and arms visible above the tubing. Michael comes out to deploy the drogue, he is aided but mainly just watched by Justin and Robert glancing up [profiles] and distractedly talking from behind the tubing. During the process of untying the drogue tow, Michael looks out of the picture plane and then behind him into the picture plane at the horizon to the right, something attracts his attention, he holds both hands [the drogue and line still in his hands] to his face to help block the sun.

2G / 2H
cut to:
close-up of Michael squinting then eyes widening, then shouting and waving – ear: left, eyes: right – lasts several seconds, looks over his shoulder.

2I
cut to:
medium close shot of raft - Michael waving madly with drogue in hand and shouting, he then grabs a jersey from the raft canopy and waves both drogue and jersey several times over his head at the distant ship/plane he sees, Justin leaps up almost immediately and stands next to him – Michael points as soon as Justin is standing and both shout and wave hysterically - Justin having grabbed a long sleeve shirt off the raft roof – a second after this emerges Robert and scrambles to the other side of the raft with a t-shirt in his hands, he looks for a moment at the horizon and then begins waving franticly [he is just visible above the roof on the other side of the raft] Robert looks back at the others and smiles a huge, manic smile then returns to waving.

2J
cut to:
close-up of a deranged looking Robert with desperate grin and big eyes.

2K
cut to:
shot of raft with all three waving for several seconds then Justin stoops back into the raft’s interior. Robert also stoops into interior to get space blanket – Michael remains outside waving.

2L
cut to:
close shot of raft interior with Justin rifling through contents of survival pack spread on raft floor – Robert steps into shot briefly to grab the space blanket then exits (wait 1 beat) then Justin briefly looks up and shouts [”that’s what I’m getting!!!”] in response to Michael shouting off-camera. Justin grabs a flare looks at it briefly and rushes out.

2M
cut to:
close shot of raft - Justin emerging quickly from raft interior with flare in his hands – lots of talking and shouting – shouts to Robert [waving space blanket] and Michael. Justin reads the instructions and Michael glances across briefly.

2N
cut to:
close-up of Justin’s shakey hands holding flare and running finger along printed text.

2O
cut to:
close-up of Robert looking at Michael and Justin [off-camera] for a moment from other side and shouts to both: “ddddoooo iiiiitttttt!!” – space blanket flapping next to his face.

2P
cut to:
medium close shot of raft – Michael and Justin, talking lots, both respond to Robert - both look up and shift apart as Justin holds the flare above him [looking into the picture plane] and fires. A flare shoots up off camera.

2Q
cut to:
(14:00) vertical shot of flare shooting up into the air.

2R
cut to:
medium close shot of raft - all three watching intermittently up and down between the flare above and the ship/plane at horizon level – all three have stopped waving since Justin fired the flare. Scene ends with all three looking up and down checking on both the flare and the ship/plane at different times – Michael has hands on head - Robert looks back despondently at others waves blanket twice lamely and the scene ends.

… fade out to black and into…

SCENE 3
Mood: boredom, failing hope and defeat.

3A
open to:
(dawn) close shot of the side of the raft [hold several seconds] – Michael sticks his head out of the canopy and scans the horizon – (wait 1 beat) then talks [“nothing…”] – (wait 1 beat) – Michael looks behind him back into the raft – out of picture plane - and says [“…it’s still early though”].

3B
cut to:
(12:00 noon) medium shot of dead-still raft – Robert is lying against tube with back to camera, has t-shirt on his head [all that is visible] - no movement on raft for several seconds and lots of baking sun – space blanket is tied to roof [flapping in the breeze] Justin appears out of the shelter [also wearing t-shirt on his head] and stands for a while scanning the horizon [while lightly leaning against canopy roof] talks to Robert as he exists shelter and while looking around. Justin abandons effort to search for possible rescue after picking at his upper arms and chest for some seconds [facing camera], he yawns and then sits down again. During search he is intermittently talking to others.

3C
cut to:
(10:00) stereotypical western film genre shot of baking sun filling the view [with multiple lens refraction].

3D
cut to:
(13:30) close-up profile of Justin’s head bent against the raft tubing asleep, mouth a bit open - baking in the sun, Michael can be seen in the background also lazing.

… cut to…

SCENE 4
Sinking: A

4
opens to:
(14:30) raft is quite deflated indicating a puncture to the tubing – some attempts to re-organize, Michael jumps into the water to look along edges of raft under the water and also to check the inflation cylinder. Robert and Justin remain on the raft, hanging over the tubing.

…cut to…

SCENE 5
Sinking: B

5
shot of:
(15:00) raft is further deflated – Michael is treading water and still checking tubing [lots of pointing to others and talking] - Robert lies across flat part to try to find where the puncture is while others talk to him. Justin is also in the water and dives under the raft to check for leaks – then scene cuts.

…cut to…

SCENE 6
Sinking: C
6
shot of:
(15:30) Robert, Justin and Michael are treading water – the raft has completely deflated and is merely a black and orange shape on the sea’s surface. Justin tries to climb into the middle but just sinks [there are still a couple of small pockets of air]. Lots of talking, shouting and pointing.

… cut to…

SCENE 7
The raft has sunk.

7
shot of:
(16:00) Robert, Justin and Michael are threading water – there is no sign of the raft - scene opens with them quite close together [close shot at almost sea level] – they look beaten and worried – lots of talking and looking at the horizon, both out of the picture plane and to the horizon.

…cut to…

SCENE 8
Closing scene.

8
shot of:
(just before dusk: no visible sun) a medium shot of the empty sea to the horizon. The raft has sunk, Justin Quinn got cramp and drowned first, Robert Mayes drowned a few hours later due to exhaustion and like-wise Michael Evans succumbed to death by drowning forty minutes later.

…iris out to black…

…after 1 beat iris into opening shot of scene 1 (the empty sea at dawn)…

…and the loop begins again...

Standard commercial 8 man
inflatible life raft
© CommCraft

US Air Flight 427 wreckage
investigation
Florida : 1992
© Pittsburgh Post-Gazette