We’ve said it before. Sometimes, a place is so important that it becomes a central character within a story. In Annette and Peter’s beautiful narrative, Prince Edward County is that third character. And while this couple are many things onto themselves and to each other — world travelers, food connoisseurs, and techies (that’ll be almost entirely Peter) — they are very proud PE County residents.
And rightfully so! Just over 2 hours away from Toronto, Prince Edward County is an amazing little getaway with enough mouth-watering earth-to-table eateries to keep you busy. The couple had us stay at their cottage for their wedding weekend, so amongst all the celebrating, we were able to do a bit of exploring in the county as well as our fair share of star-gazing/fire-building/marshmallow-roasting.
In Annette and Peter’s film, we actually start their story with visually striking establishing shots from around the county along with some pretty powerful atmospheric sounds. Immediately, you’re transported to this setting, and the images and sounds, and the way they play off each other — sometimes blending, and at other times changing abruptly — let you know that this place is important within the framework of the story. These establishing shots also serve another purpose in the film. They serve as visual cues that let the viewer know the exact layout of the space this entire story will be taking place in. Within that first minute, we’re introduced to the windmill, the lake, the house in front of which the couple shares their first look, and the barn. At first, it all seems like separate shots from entirely different areas, but once we see the setup start to happen and we see different people travel back and forth along these visual landmarks, you get a pretty clear idea of what this space looks like.
We think it says a lot about a film when, even after all the dozens of times we’ve watched it from its early stages right down to the final cut, we are still left a little speechless after each play. Maybe it’s the beautiful narrative shaped largely by Peter trying to find the exact moment in which he knew he had fallen in love with Annette, maybe it’s the breathtaking setting, or maybe it’s because we love these two and are overcome with so much joy each time we see them relive their wedding day. Whatever it is, it gets us every time.