The Park

A day in an urban park, from the gates opening to their closure at dusk.

In this BFI-funded film, a shabby rootless figure moves through a park, encountering a varied cross-section of British society. Within the metal railings that surround the open space, people party, run, stroll, wait or sleep, creating a mysterious, expectant atmosphere. Flashbacks to better times show the park bathed in sunlight, and the main character, suited and respectable, reading his Sunday paper. The imaginative sound design, co-created by Bruce Beresford, contributes to the surreal air of the film, with city noises and jarring reverberations overlaid on the track.