A Whisper In Hagley Woods | Piet Zwart Institute: Lens-Based Graduation Film, 2021
Premiered at Refracted Reality, Rotterdam, NL on 30/09/2021
In this atmospheric short film, a man returns to a gloomy forest in Birmingham, where long ago a mysterious crime was committed. Party photo-roman, partly digital travel report, this short film juxtaposes old forensic photographs with videos shot with a phone of the crime scene as it stands in the current day. A whisper in Hagley Woods reflects on placeness, the apparatus of cinema and the way ghosts inhabit photographs. It further ambiguously explores the role of the male creator indulging his obsession. He retraces the steps of the murderer and the victim… while reminiscing on a past that is shaped through the lens of fictional narratives.
– Ann Hodges: The Woman That Was Hit By A Meteorite | 2021
Premiered at Sidewalk Film Festival, Birmingham, USA on 29/08/2021
Screened at Durango Independent Film Festival, Durango, USA on 06/03/2022
Screened at George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, Florence, USA on 03-05/03/2022
Screened at Kosice International Film Festival, Košice, SK on 05-07/05/2022
Screened at Fairhope Film Festival, Fairhope, USA on 10-13/11/2022
In 1954, an Alabama woman named Ann Hodges was hit by a meteorite that crashed through the roof of her home. For years, this was the only documented case of an extra-terrestrial object injuring a human being. Despite turning Ms. Hodges into an overnight celebrity, the bizarre event marked the beginning of her tragic demise. With this experimental short documentary film, I wanted to tell the incredible but sad story of Ann Hodges and simultaneously reflect on my passion for low budget Hollywood science fiction films. I hope my film gives some recognition to the late Ann Hodges, whose short life was as wondrous as it was tragic. Struck By A Rock From Space showcases the gritty way in which humankind preserves history and violence through photographs while functioning as a homage to the incredible sci-fi films that dominated box offices during the 1950’s. The film is part of the collection of the Alabama Museum of Natural History. You can stream the documentary for free on Vimeo: