Promises Written in Water (lost Vincent Gallo experimental film; 2010)

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Promotional still of the film's title card

Status: Lost

Promises Written in Water is a 2010 experimental romantic-drama film written, directed by, and starring Vincent Gallo. As the follow-up to his controversial 2003 film The Brown Bunny, the film received media attention around its unusual production, in which Gallo usurped control of the film from previous director Pete Red Sky, and was met with a similarly divisive response. The film only received limited showings during the 2010 Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, and is now totally unavailable save for a sniped phone video of the film's end title card, a promotional still provided on Vincent Gallo's official website, and a production picture posted to IMDB.

Production

The film's production began in 2007 under the direction of Pete Red Sky (whose only prior director credit is the 2005 independent film The White Horse Is Dead) under the title The Funeral Director with Vincent Gallo signed on only in an acting role. [1]

According to boom operator Chris Howland, Red Sky's inexperience lead to Gallo taking on more responsibilities on the project; first taking on the role of editor, then eventually becoming director of the entire project. Gallo shifted the film's direction to a more experimental and improvisational approach, for the most part doing away with Red Sky's initial script, changing the cast, and funding the remainder of the production using $500,000 of his own funds. [2][3]

Plot

The plot synopsis given on Vincent Gallo's official website is:

Promises Written in Water is an extremely stripped-down abstract romantic story of a man and a woman, both in crisis. Kevin (Vincent Gallo) is a long-time, professional assassin, specializing in the termination of life. Mallory (Delfine Bafort) is a wild, poetic, beautiful young woman confronting her terminal illness and eventual suicide. She reaches out to Kevin to take responsibility for her corpse once she passes, requesting his protection of her dead body’s dignity until her cremation. Kevin’s acceptance of this request causes uncomfortable self-reflection and changes the lens through which he views death.[4]

Reviews for the film often mention its high-contrast black and white cinematography (with director of photography Masanobu Takayanagi going on to work on award-winning films such as Silver Linings Playbook and Spotlight) as well as its non-linear and abstract presentation. The following scenes have been mentioned in reviews:[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

  • The film opens with a shot of Lake Los Angeles (potentially the same shot shown in the one promotional still of the film).
  • Mallory is shown curled up in a fetal position in a bathtub with her voice-over asking to be cremated and her ashes dispersed.
  • Kevin is shown in an extended one-shot sequence smoking and pacing around a hotel room and glancing at himself in the mirror, ending with him circling the words "apprentice funeral director" in a newspaper ad.
  • Kevin accepts a job at a funeral home for a "world-famous mortician", played by Brenda Epperson, despite insisting that he "[has] money" and "a nice home".
  • Mallory and Kevin have a conversation in a cafe regarding Kevin's ex-girlfriend Collette, with Mallory repeatedly asking Kevin if he called her. Kevin responds that Collette told him that she is going to Thailand with a man who is 55 years old and that she told him not to worry, and repeats the story over and over again with variations over an extended sequence, asking Mallory if he can start again at one point. The scene is shown through an unbroken close-up of Kevin, only momentarily broken when Mallory's head comes into view partially when she says she is vain.
  • Kevin asks Mallory to marry him and move into his house which sparks an altercation.
  • Kevin and Mallory argue regarding Mallory's promiscuity, which morphs into a debate about the value of money.
  • Kevin repeatedly goes in to kiss Mallory but keeps pulling back.
  • Mallory dances wildly in front of Kevin in a bare room to Polygon Window's "Quoth".
  • Mallory is shown sniffing and wiping her eyes whilst being verbally berated by Kevin after Mallory phones Kevin's ex-girlfriend Collette.
  • Kevin photographs an emaciated young woman's corpse, played by Hope Tomeselli.
  • Kevin sits next to a grieving middle-aged woman in a crypt and is asked to hold her hand.
  • Kevin speeds across a cemetery in a black hearse (potentially the scene shown in the production still of the film).
  • Kevin walks into his old apartment to pick up an old pair of shoes, then meets with his previous employer who is credited as "The Mafioso" (played by Sage Stallone). The Mafioso has a single line in which he asks Kevin to accept a new job, to which Kevin refuses.
  • Kevin helps a mortician with carrying a corpse while saying "I don't want to do it".

A phone recording of the film's final title card, as well as a video taken during the film's closing applause, during one of the film's Venice showings, have a song playing in the background that is identical to an untitled song Vincent Gallo played live with Trish Keenan during a live show that occurred during Promises Written in Water's production.

Availability

The film received showings at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, reportedly due to agreements Vincent Gallo made with lead actress Delfine Bafort [15]. The showings occurred on September 7th and September 8th, 2010 at the Venice International Film Festival [16] and on September 15th, 2010 at the Toronto International Film Festival [17]. The September 7th screening was notably attended by Quentin Tarantino [18], Delfine Bafort, and Josh and Benny Safdie. [19] Vincent Gallo did not attend any of these showings, and the respective press conferences were cancelled.

Critical reception to these showings was primarily negative, with strongly negative reviews being published in WhatCulture, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Guardian as well as laughter and booing being reported at the Venice International Film Festival's press screening of the film, with general reception veering more positive, with a number of blog posts saying it was among the best films of the respective festivals (including acclaimed cinematographer Sean Price Williams [20]) and the official screening at Venice receiving 5 minutes of applause. [21]

In interviews both prior to and immediately following these screenings, Vincent Gallo stated that he had no intention to release the film beyond these agreed showings. His reasonings are quoted as:

I do not want my new works to be generated in a market or audience of any kind [...] So this film is allowed to rest in peace and stored without being exposed to the dark energies from the public. [22]

As of 2022, there have continued to be no immediate plans for the film's release and the film has remained solely in Vincent Gallo's possession. However, in an Instagram message from 2020, Gallo has said he may be open to showing the film "one day". [23]

Gallery

Sniped phone video of Promises Written in Water's end title card at the end of a Venice screening

Video taken during the applause at the end of a Venice screening

Live performance of Vincent Gallo and Trish Keenan performing a song from Promises Written in Water's end credits

  • Production still showing Vincent Gallo

    Production still showing Vincent Gallo

  • Photograph of Delfine Bafort and Josh and Benny Safdie at the September 7th Venice showing

    Photograph of Delfine Bafort and Josh and Benny Safdie at the September 7th Venice showing

  • Photograph of Quentin Tarantino at the September 7th Venice showing

    Photograph of Quentin Tarantino at the September 7th Venice showing

  1. ↑ Movieline article documenting the film's production prior to release. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  2. ↑ jwsoundgroup forum post from boom operator Chris Howland explaining some of the production. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  3. ↑ Vincent Gallo interview with The Independent during the film's production. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  4. ↑ Entry for the film on Vincent Gallo's official website. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  5. ↑ Review from the film's TIFF showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  6. ↑ Review from the film's TIFF showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  7. ↑ The Hollywood Reporter's review from the film's Venice showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  8. ↑ Slant Magazine's review from the film's TIFF showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  9. ↑ The Guardian's review from the film's Venice showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  10. ↑ Mubi review from the film's TIFF showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  11. ↑ Whatculture.com review from the film's TIFF showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  12. ↑ Variety review from the film's Venice showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  13. ↑ Review from the film's TIFF showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  14. ↑ Examiner.com review from the film's Venice showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  15. ↑ IndieWire interview with Vincent Gallo after the film's release. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  16. ↑ Venice International Film Festival showtimes for Promises Written in Water. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  17. ↑ GettyImages listing for the Toronto International Film Festival premiere which lists date. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  18. ↑ GettyImages photo of Quentin Tarantino at the September 7th showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  19. ↑ GettyImages photo of Delfine Bafort and Josh and Benny Safdie at the September 7th showing. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  20. ↑ Sean Price Williams post with thoughts on Promises Written in Water. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  21. ↑ Modern Times article about the Venice International Film Festival showings. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  22. ↑ IndieWire article about the film's lack of release. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
  23. ↑ Tweet showing a direct message with Vincent Gallo's official Instagram. Retrieved 17 Jul '22
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