Sam Taunton Shown as part of 'Into the Depths' 2026 Sometimes life needs to be taken on the slower side, allowing yourself small moments of reflection. In Huw Wahl’s Wind, Tide & Oar, there’s nothing like gently rocking side-to-side on a sailing boat, wind in your face, for some nice, quiet contemplation. Shot on a hand-cranked 16mm Bolex camera, Wind, Tide & Oar follows several communities who continue to champion the art of engineless sailing. Harnessing the natural elements alone, sailors from the UK, Netherlands and France paint a pretty picture of letting both wind and water be your guide. One of the film’s main subjects is Rose Ravetz (the director’s sister), who, after her motor conks out, decides to remodel her 23-foot vessel, the ‘Defiance’, as an engineless sailing boat. Traversing the rivers around Essex and beyond, Wahl’s intimate footage does a beautiful job of capturing Rose’s practice as one of your more traditional sailors. One image sees the ‘Defiance’ moor onto a beac

Sam Taunton Run up the colours, batten down the hatches, prepare for battle. And prepare for an action-packed voyage like no other, it’s Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. The year is 1805 and British ship, ‘HMS Surprise’, has been ambushed by French vessel ‘Archeron’ off the coast of Brazil. With both ship and men wounded, Captain ‘Lucky Jack’ Aubrey (Russell Crowe), a firm but fair leader, must reassemble his hearty crew and brave the treacherous open seas in pursuit of the opposition. Based on the novels of Patrick O’Brian, Master and Commander is essential maritime viewing, a historical epic with its fair share of swashbuckling, cannon fire and seamen sporting seriously impressive sideburns. Weir’s world of water is truly immersive, transportive in its scale and depth. The constant presence of the deep, dark ocean and its biblical waves helps cast a layer of gloom over the screen as well as a great sense of foreboding. The film’s central battle scenes are