TIDES

Abstract

Thesis Screenplay Title: Tides © Jessica Huras 2025 Masters in Screenwriting Feature length dramatic screenplay adaptation of the novel Tides by Sara Freeman

After a stillbirth, 39-year-old Mara leaves her life in Montreal, unable to bear the weight of her grief or the presence of her husband, Lucien, or her brother, Paul, and his wife with their newborn baby. Seeking escape, she arrives in a remote Nova Scotia seaside town, where the vast tidal swells reflect her teetering between self-annihilation and self-preservation. As the possibility of connection and the slow return of desire begin to draw her back to herself, scenes from her past unfold, revealing moments of intimacy and estrangement. Through these memories, Mara confronts her grief and begins to carve a new path forward.

My research examines how grief shapes a woman’s capacity for connection, autonomy, and self-reconstruction after loss. Additionally, I explore the visual representation of grief in film and how isolation and relationality function as catalysts for redefining identity.