Despite our caption, Wooden Wheel is not an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s classic, but rather a beautiful and intimate portrait of Irishman Arthur Ward’s relationship with the ocean.
Directed by Arthur’s daughter Leonn, Wooden Wheel acts as a deeply personal, meditative study of trauma and reconciliation.
Having worked at sea since the age of 17, Arthur suffered a tragic accident two decades ago when his leg got caught in an anchor. Fortunately his strength in the water saved his life but the incident left him with horrific injuries and heavy PTSD.
Rather than focusing on the anguish such a life changing event can have, Leonn’s film offers a poetic look at both the mental and physical notions the ocean has played in her Father’s rehabilitation.
Beautifully lensed by Harry Wheeler and delightfully intertwined with Peter Byrne’s sean-nós performance of an old Irish folk song, Wonder Wheel acts as a beautiful ode to the sea and the rituals of recovery.
