Played out against Circling Girl by The Cocteau Twins, with heavenly and intertwined harmonic vocal lines from Elizabeth Fraser, Swirl is directed by the incredible debbie tucker green and shot in one take exiting from Old Street tube station on a winter’s evening. And it’s glorious.
Two young Black girls play out a friendship against a London streetscape – or are they the same person experiencing contrasting moods?
As they swirl and swoop about each other, the city passes by and ignores the two young Black girls, bringing to the fore the way society fails to acknowledge them perhaps?
And in the closing moments, a hug.
Smiles as they disappear together into the night.
To where?
Who knows?
Somewhere happy and beautiful?
I really hope so.
Swirl is a perfect short film encapsulating the genius of debbie tucker green’s vision and the Cocteau Twins’ hauntingly elegaic music – watch it below.
Sanjit Chudha 