Ben Rivers is an experimental filmmaker whose observational approach creates a poetic no man’s land between documentary and fiction. His films often focus on areas of unexplored territory or on individuals living beyond the margins.

Two Years at Sea is an extraordinary portrait of an unconventional life lived in Scotland’s wilderness. The film follows the solitary pursuits of Jake, a man who works, naps and roams across a tumbledown homestead and its surrounding countryside. He spends his days carrying out domestic chores, aspirational projects and quiet contemplation, all of which seem to be of equal importance to him. Jake’s everyday needs are met basically; his ambitious projects are carried out as a one-man operation.

Through these intimate glimpses of Jake’s life, which seems to be free from the influence of capitalism and commerce, Rivers has created a remarkable reflection on modern living. The film is full of activity, but is refreshingly uninterested in words and speech, focusing instead on action and escapism.