Oil on Water, Tidal Wave Productions’ first short feature film, will be shot and produced exclusively out of Kwa-Zulu Natal in July 2006. Directed by Peter Matthews, Oil on Water is a film about loss and transformation that will lead the viewer down an evocative, mysterious path. It is a visually artistic film that examines life and art, love and loss, and what it means to live with regret – up to its final climactic moments.

The film will showcase the locations of KwaZulu Natal exclusively, a region that is rapidly emerging as the new growth centre of the film industry in South Africa. According to Peter Matthews, the choice of the province as a backdrop for Oil on Water and the selection of various locations in and around Durban was an easy one. “While South Africa is a country rich in locations, we found the raw and natural beauty that is an intrinsic part of Oil on Water in KwaZulu Natal,” he said.

The production company has supported the development of the film industry in the province for the past six years and has also drawn the majority of its crew and cast members from the region.

Written and produced by Elle Matthews, Oil on Water tackles the issues of love and loss, the unravelling of one artist’s life and the effects of this on the woman who loves him. It depicts humanity at its most raw and elevates real life to a visually emotive and descriptive celluloid art form. The story deals with a creative artist, Max, who is struggling with strange experiences that begin to affect his life, his work and his relationship with his fiancée, Anna.