Plot Summary: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.
Shot in black-and-white, this fiercely independent film traces the steps a young photographer takes to fulfil the dying wishes of a beautiful young woman, including getting a job in a funeral parlour so he can oversee her cremation.