A folded ocean

13 MINUTES

In the bliss of budding love, a couple becomes – quite literally – entangled

A young couple – cuddling, kissing, giggling and wrestling – is immersed in the unmistakable bliss of early relationship love. When they awake in bed the next day, they find they have quite literally become entangled, with one lover’s arm connecting seamlessly to the other’s. This is the simple premise, and not-so-subtle metaphor, at the centre of the US director Ben Brewer’s short A Folded Ocean. The proceedings soon grow even more surreal as the pair’s entire bodies begin to merge even more fully – scenes achieved via some impressive, if rather unnerving, special effects. Weaving elements of romantic comedy, relationship drama and body horror, Brewer, who lead the visual effects team on the similarly eclectic Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), walks this genre tightrope with skill and care. Not content to rest on the strengths of his clever premise and unforgettable imagery, Brewer – alongside acting leads Anabelle LeMieux and John Giacobbe – evokes the complexities of navigating through a romantic relationship with humour and heart.

Director: Ben Brewer

Producer: Emily Murnane

Explore more

Illustration of a simple cartoon figure with a bob haircut wearing a green crop top and red skirt on a light background.

Growing pains, bras, size, sex – a group of women get candid about all things boobs

A film by Subarna Dash and Vidushi Gupta

Close-up photo of an elderly man with a beard wearing a black cap, lying in a hospital bed, looking content.

After four decades in prison, Big D contemplates the brave new world that awaits him

Directed by Laura Tejero Núñez

An elderly woman in black standing in a garden of pink roses with snow-capped mountains in the background.

Mzia the elevator operator leaves her post for the first time in two decades

Directed by Madeline Leary

Paper collage of a man and a woman lying on the floor petting a grey rabbit and a white cat with a small table in the background.

After a life-altering diagnosis, Case crafts a loving message to his future self

A film by Case Jernigan

Collage featuring a cut-out photo of woman running overlaid on vintage photos.

Prison letters animate Diane’s attempt to understand a distant father

Directed by Diana Cam Van Nguyen

Illustration of two female anthropomorphic bears in a romantic embrace sitting on a window sill, with trees in the background and a red bird beside them.

Sweet illustrations capture women’s stories of first-time queer attraction

A film by Diane Obomsawin

Painting of a woman in a flowing white dress and a man lying on a black background with ornamental corners.
LOVE

A girl upends her grandparents’ ‘love story’ in this hilarious animation

Directed by Maryam Mohajer

Desert with a blurred yellow road sign and distant hills under a blue sky.
Psyche Exclusive

Ride along on a road trip suffused with LSD, petty theft and true love

Directed by Aric Allen