Different Shores

Different Shores (2026), directed by Gabriel Brown, is a beautifully shot short film about the complex relationships we experience as we grow older, highlighting the roles of grief and abandonment in life. 

Set in the gorgeous Scottish Countryside, Madeleine is hired as a carer for Abigail. At first, their relationship is estranged due to a generational divide. Madeleine perceives judgment from the older generation all around her, who seem to communicate through passive-aggressive comments and a general distaste towards younger people. This is seen from both Abigail and her employer at the bookshop, who express that they see younger people as lazy and incompetent. 

Quickly, this generational divide is disputed, as Madeleine and Abigail begin to connect over shared experiences of grief and, importantly, their womanhood. Viewers are taken through their beautiful journey, as the two women learn from each other, Abigail eventually becoming the mother figure that Madeleine so deeply longed for.

The casting of relatively lesser-known actresses: Jessica Black as Abigail, and Charlotte McBurney as Madeleine, brings forth a strong sense of authenticity. Viewers feel a personal connection to the strangers’ lives they are seeing, as their gentle performances uplift the film’s touching narrative.

The authenticity at play here is subtly enhanced by the film’s editing choices. The use of montage and unorthodox camera angles, such as the camera becoming the sieve as the two women make together, gives the viewer a tactile presence in the story. Choices like this highlight the facial expressions of the main characters, so that their joy is at the forefront, setting the tone of the scenes. As well as this, the colour grading of the more wholesome moments gives the look of a home video, adding to the familial feel of Madeleine and Abigail’s relationship.

Though the settings are relatively simplistic, switching between Abigail's home, the outdoor coastal environment, and the bookshop that Madeleine works in, the set design gives each setting a unique look. Viewers are easily convinced that they are present in each location, viewing a segment of both women’s lives. This is also partly a result of careful lighting choices, which effectively give each setting a unique look.

Handling themes such as grief and abandonment is always a delicate path for filmmakers. Different Shores is careful to bring these themes in as a form of character shaping and development, which impressively ties into the story of Abigail and Madeleine’s connection without straying away from the main plot. 

Viewers are not distracted by references from the past, as they are briefly indicated in earlier moments of the film before they are explicitly revealed, through symbolism in panoramic shots. For instance, Abigail’s late husband’s existence is subtly implied through shots of an elderly couple on the beach, as well as Abigail’s mysterious situation of living alone in a large home. 

Her grief, however, does not define her; she has found ways to cope with accepting that she must move on, whilst still appreciating the memories she had with him. This valuable perspective is one which Madeleine is in need of due to her feelings of resentment towards her mother. 

Abigail and Madeleine navigate their feelings together and are both able to find peace and joy in their unique situations. As they grow fond of one another, they discover a new kind of love which beautifully defines their lives, in turn making them better, happier people.