What We Leave Behind

We worked with Manuela Perez Gomez in July, facilitating filming at Black Rock beach in Brighton where she was producing short film What We Leave Behind, as well as sourcing a local lifeguard for the shoot.

This is a story of two best friends living together. Isla and Hazel. One always needs more, the other has nothing left to give. On the surface, Isla and Hazel have the long-standing, dedicated friendship that most of us dream of. However, when they move in together, cracks begin to form. Isla is reckless and reliant on Hazel to continually keep her afloat.

Hazel reaches breaking point when she can no longer stay above the surface, dragged and pushed under by her own problems and Isla’s. Isla must move out. However, Hazel does not find herself any lighter. What We Leave Behind follows Hazel in the aftermath as she grapples with guilt and the acceptance of toxic friendship. Who do you save when you’re out of your depth?

It was a pleasure working with Manuela and her team, and she gave us some wonderful feedback!

“The shoot went amazingly – thank you! We had the best time and it was incredible to see how professional everything looked. Everything went really well and we were really fortunate with the weather and how respectful the people on the beach were…[the lifeguard] was truly amazing. I couldn’t recommend him more highly. We were very happy with his services and simply having his presence on set provided so much reassurance. He really got stuck in on the day and helped us rigging equipment and moving things around. The actresses both felt very safe and he was truly a
great addition to the team. Despite not having much to do as a lifeguard, he was very supportive and ensured to check in with how we were feeling throughout the day. I really hoped he had a great time! [He] was great and would love to work with him again on any future productions.” 

Thank you Manuela!

Post-production is imminent and you can donate here and follow the film’s progress here.