Smoky, jazzy, sensual. That’s how Thyrone Tommy shoots Learn to Swim, which he wrote with Marni Van Dyk. The film—acquired by Ava DuVernay’s Array and coming to select theaters and Netflix—watches the unfolding relationship between saxophone player Dezi (Thomas Antony Olajide) and singer Selma (Emma Ferreira). The chemistry is there, along with the potential for harmony, but each musician brings their own baggage to the table.
Paste has an exclusive clip from Learn to Swim, which sees Selma and Dezi chatting about their pasts and their potential future—professionally and, maybe, personally.
Check it out:
Boxed-in and intimate, with skin-on-skin contact and the delicate touch of a necklace adding tactile closeness to the conversation, the scene sees the two take a photo to commemorate their partnership. Warm light and warmer, muted brass tones set the mood, already enhanced by the performers’ smiles. There’s something sparking here.
Learn to Swim premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and represents Tommy’s feature debut. And while the two stars obviously have something brewing on screen, make sure to listen out for the music from Chester Hansen, Leland Whitty and Tika Simone.
Learn to Swim hits select theaters and Netflix on August 15.