TURNING TIDE | Omeleto

A young boy encounters a downed German pilot.

Ten-year-old David lives in Scotland during World War II. One day, he is outside with his mother one day when a huge fleet of German warplanes flies above him after a bombing raid, which is quickly followed by a group of British Spitfires. The awe-inspiring sight turns into a large aerial battle, and the plane-loving child follows it as one downed plane crashes nearby.

Setting out to find the enemy warplane, David witnessed a pilot escaping the wreckage, immediately running away. David follows, leading to a life-changing encounter.

Writer-director Andrew Muir's short historical drama has a visual sweep and ambition that is reminiscent of the grand old-fashioned studio pictures of Hollywood, with gleaming, beautiful light, sweeping camerawork and an almost epic sense of panorama. What's striking at first glance is how handsome the look and feel of the film is, and while the images are crisp and pristine, the film language itself seems almost nostalgic in its classicism.

But while the visuals -- accompanied by a rich orchestral score -- possess an almost old-fashioned grandeur, the narrative register focuses on a small, almost poetic encounter between the young protagonist and an enemy soldier, which changes his understanding of war. The film takes its time to set up the time period and place, situating David in history, family and community, but the heart of the film rests on a central conflict between him and the fugitive soldier, who escapes the wreckage.

This encounter is rendered with little dialogue, as the pair of characters try to understand one another's intentions and capabilities. Tension, curiosity and discovery are deftly built up and revealed in this mostly silent conversation, both in the writing and in the performances. Young actor Patrick McLoughlin captures both David's sense of curiosity and appealing innocence, and his reaction to the soldier has both an openness and a wariness that feels true to character and situation. The soldier is played in turns with a cryptic wariness, a drive to escape and a guarded sense of latent humanity.

The interaction between David and the German soldier isn't overly sentimentalized -- there is no overdetermined realization of mutual humanity, for instance. But when the pair are finally discovered by the larger community, the emotions quickly escalate, and so does the suspense. And while the German soldier chooses one way, David's fellow villagers choose another path -- one that seems more shocking than the aerial battle he just witnessed. The violence is fleeting, but its intensity is jarring and distressing, for both viewers and David -- and it deeply affects David's understanding of what war really means.

TURNING TIDE ends with a subtle -- and perhaps almost too elusive -- set of images, one whose meaning is decoded when compared to the sweeping symbolism of the film's beginnings. Instead of gliding his toy planes in the air in imitation of the ones that have flown majestically above him, David has set them down -- and put away perhaps his reflexive awe at what is essentially the machinery of war, having seen up close what that enmity entails.

[ManuelSanchez-hcxr]

I think the pilot wanted to go home when he saw the boys mom.

[justlogus]

German pilot: **breathes**

The kid: *Peace was never an option*

[George-iesi]

The German airman was honorable to the boy, he could have taken them all out but choose to surrender.

[eventualadele]

its crazy how they didnt speak a single word to eachother but they both had a whole conversation

[AndrewJMuir]

Hey all, it's Andrew here, the director of this film! Thanks so much for all the great comments, and so glad so many of you enjoyed it! If you'd like to see how the film was made, there's a Behind The Scenes documentary in the description ^^^

Many thanks, best wishes!
Andrew

[Thnk__]

3 years for a 15 minute movie, that goes to show how long something that looks so simple can take without enough money, people, and equipment. But it was a really good movie

[maybepolishcow]

German Pilot: hmmm.. *surrenders*

Man: “OIY”
*punches*

[maproductions]

This is a story my mum told me:
My great grandad witnessed a crash in Kent, in the south of England. When he and his friends approached the pilot, he was in a state of shock and started crying, begging them not to kill him. Apparently he only looked 16 or 17. They didn't hurt or kill him; they invited him inside and made him a cup of tea.

[Docinaplane]

I wanted to see the boy visit the pilot in jail and give him his cigar back.

[AW___]

Talented child actor. I don’t think I could gather up as wide a range of emotions as he did when I was his age! 😄
Wishing him all the best if he chooses acting as his profession.

[-Johake-]

Scottish boy after seeing dozens of enemy German planes:
Bet ima go watch.

[kainenable]

My grandfather was a on the german side during the war. He actually was taken prisoner. During that time they became fast friends. My grandfather spoke english and became an interpreter while in the prisoner of war camp. The English officer then wrote him a referral to become a Canadian citizen, and here i am.

Not all germans who fought in the war were monsters. Most were just normal people. I wish more stories were told like this in cinema.

[sheeppiiee]

when my grandpa was in primary school, a german plane crashed in his school playground. the pilot lived and became one of the townsfolk

[LordChristoff]

German pilot: "Hello young man"

Boy: "So you have chosen death"

[redisdead-.]

i mean, yeah, the real planes were cool, but did you see the boy's toy plane flying skills?

[mousetrap]

the 2 people who punched the soldier when he surrendered seem like the kind of people to sweat on skywars

[ggbx]

My grandpa is from Hungary when he was a kid he was talking to someone German soldiers and they bought him a candy bar
People make German soldiers look bad but they are not it is just the people that ran the war

[bobbybaucom]

War is a fun game until the realities of war hit close to home.

[patrickmclaughlin]

I’m the boy in the film, what an experience it was and so glad to see it getting so much positive recognition! thank you for all your kind comments💙

[polonium]

My Dad grew up during the blitz and was about the same age as the boy. He told me about seeing dog-fights over London, air raids, his shrapnel collection, German POW's on work parties etc. A great little film. It gave me a glimpse of what he saw back then.