We Were Left Alone

Adrián Canoura’s first feature-length documentary initially seems to be about life aboard a fishing boat. The video recordings are made by fixed cameras installed in the hold and wheelhouse, and on the mast. Is there actually a cameraman present?

In this at times experimental film, the focus slowly shifts to the skipper and his work. It becomes clear that the journey is an attempt by the director to get to know his father Raúl better. Piece by piece the puzzle comes together, and We Were Left Alone becomes more personal. We see photos and letters that Adrián’s father sent home, as well as old films of fishing life shot by the crew themselves.

Raúl would often spend long periods at sea, away from his family. In the process of making the film, father and son learn more about each other and each other’s professions.