In the Wake of a Second Cook

As a tanker is caught in a storm and capsizing; a second cook on board receives a voice mail from his wife that he is a father to a baby girl. The cook retreats to a small storage closet where there are approximately 60 minutes of air remaining. Fifty–eight miles from shore in the confines of this closet he experiences impossibly authentic hallucinations of his baby girl’s birth, growth and his own funeral and burial. Our birth, growth, and death are inseparable from the natural elements. Biodiversity affirms the enormity of our unconscious. As he visualizes her mother’s efforts up through age four; the air runs out, and he becomes a midwife to the memories he will never have: a vision which only film can allow.

Directed by Rolf Belgum, In the Wake of a Second Cook leans on a strong ensemble — Nola Belgum, Julia Palokangas, Justin Maki — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2016.