麻豆社

The Hastings fish market has closed, the lorries from France that would normally fill up with fresh fish every morning have stopped coming. The local pubs and restaurants are shut. The world is on coronavirus lockdown. But for Europe鈥檚 largest beach-launched fishing fleet, there is no stopping them.

Boats can be seen each day from the beaches of Hastings, punctuating the seascape. Paul鈥檚 family have been fishing since records began. Generations of fishermen who have survived huge societal, political and environmental change. COVID-19 presents yet another upheaval that Paul and his colleagues must adapt to. Despite huge changes to their customer base, Paul has already seen some positives such as local people experimenting with the fish they cook: huss, skate, sole and plaice. Self-isolation on a boat isn鈥檛 possible, but the fishermen are working in small groups trying to keep themselves safe and, as food providers, to understand the crucial role they serve in the current climate.

In this poignant and moving documentary by Chloe White, which uses a mixture of multiple fixed go-pro cameras and evocative shots of the boats going out to sea, an elderly fisherman reflects on the adaptable nature of the Hastings fishing industry in light of Covid-19.

Filmed in Lockdown is a series of new works of literary, musical, visual, and performance arts, commissioned for Culture in Quarantine by Arts Council England and 麻豆社 Arts.