CURRENT PROJECTS
18th March 2021 – Feature length documentary in advanced stages of pre-production. News coming soon!
ANCIENT SKIES
Before the invention of the written word, for thousands of years the Neolithic civilisation of Europe constructed ever more complex stone monuments, many of which pre-date the Egyptian pyramids by several millennia.
Long dismissed as the work of “…illiterate barbarians…” by much of academia, it has been only recently that a radical reappraisal has taken place, giving birth to a new scientific discipline: Archaeo-Astronomy.
Far from being “…savages…” the Neolithic were highly intelligent, lived in complex societies, and integrated a spiritual world view with extraordinarily skilled feats of engineering and astronomy, which many now believe represent the first principles of modern science. Some of their monuments, aligned to key points in the celestial cycles with extremely high accuracy, are visited by nearly 2 million people annually.
ANCIENT SKIES is the first large format film to explore this fascinating subject and tap into the enduring popularity of the legacy of our ancestors.
It features motion controlled timelapse, CGI, never-before-seen alignment events, and interviews with the some of the most respected archaeologists and astronomers of our generation, including Prof. Clive Ruggles, Dr. Edwin Krupp and Prof. George Eogan.
Format: 4k FullDome – 4096 x 4096 @ 30fps – 5.1 audio.
Versions: 25 & 46 min.
Passwords to on-line consideration screeners are available on request.
Incidental music – STEVE ROACH
Original music – BANCO DE GAIA & ZHENIA MAHDI-NAU
The two original pieces by Banco De Gaia & Zhenia Mahdi-Nau that open and close the film were released on Banco’s 2013 album APOLLO
An excellent remix by TRIPSWITCH of one of the tracks – ACQUIESCENCE – can also be seen / heard here and was released on the album OLLOPA
“Ancient Skies is a beautiful film, combining stunning timelapse sequences and interviews with experts in the field. The world premiere sold out, with many request for additional tickets.
I would be very pleased to offer this film again at our venue.”
– Dr. Jenny Shipway – WINCHESTER SCIENCE CENTRE
REMNANTS
The ‘sister’ project of ANCIENT SKIES, this 36 min. film is set only to an original 5.1 score by Tangerine Dream member Thorsten Quaeschning.
Utilising highly stylised motion controlled timelapse, it explores the extraordinary achievements of the Neolithic peoples, captures the essense and austere beauty of their ‘Megalithic’ sites, suggest rationales for their being, and poses an important question for our times.
History has proven no civilisation can last indefinitely.
Is it not unlikely we shall share the same fate?
Formats:
2k Widescreen DCP (2048 x 858 – 24fps – 5.1 audio )
4k Fulldome (4096 x 4096 – 30fps – 5.1 audio)
Passwords to on-line consideration screeners are available on request.
www.ancientskies.info/remnants_about_history/
“….beautiful and hard-earned imagery….a moving inner journey that lets us feel our connection
to our ancient roots and the timeless turning of the earth….I loved it….”
– Mark Magidson – Producer BARAKA & SAMSARA“….a love letter to our ancient ancestors and these majestic icons….
a beautiful film that looks great on the large screen….”
– Dave Rogers – YORKSHIRE TIMES – Bradford Film Festival Widescreen Weekend 2013“…a wonderful short….stunning 2k resolution and extraordinary music….”
– Bruce Campbell – CINEMA RETRO – Bradford Film Festival Widescreen Weekend 2013“….mesmerising….a slow-building visual journey to a
stunningly effective, thought provoking climax ….watch it on the biggest screen possible….”
– Anthony Powell – Director ANTARCTICA – A YEAR ON ICE“…an incredible piece of work…the best movie screened at GSCA 2014….absolutely stunning, beautiful and brilliant…”
– Mike George, ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTRE – Giant Screen Cinema Association conference 2014
THE FIRE THIS TIME
This 78 min. audio documentary, released by HIDDEN ART RECORDS in 2002, arose as a result of my efforts with pioneering activist Miriam Ryle to publicise the devastating effect that the bombing of the 1991 Gulf War and subsequent sanctions were having on the civilian population of Iraq.
Faced with intransigence, ignorance and outright hostility from mainstream media, a planned visual documentary was abandoned in favour of an audio odyssey that took us from the heartbreaking hospitals of Baghdad to the depths of US foreign policy archives, from the stunning kindness of a UN official to some of the best musical talents of the UK electronica scene, all of whom contributed to the project for nothing, and donated their royalties to MEDICAL AID TO IRAQI CHILDREN.
The album took over 3 years to make, half of which was spent fighting legal battles with music companies over rights, whilst 3000-5000 children died every month from malnutrition, dehydration and easily preventable disease in a political climate that was, in our opinion, cruel beyond measure, totally pointless and ultimately counter-productive.
Original music by MICHAEL STEARNS, HIGHER INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, BASS COMMUNION with NASEER SHAMMA, SOMA, BARBED, KAIT GRAY, TOM MIDDLETON and BOLA, with exclusive re-mixes of ORBITAL and APHEX TWIN.
Released as a double CD edition, with instrumentals on Disc 2. Available to purchase here:
AMAZON UK / AMAZON US / FORCED EXPOSURE
“….unbeatable for its sheer devotion to truth….”
– NEW INTERNATIONALIST MAGAZINE – Best Album of the Year 2002“…terrifying and timely….assembled with such originality that
it creates its own new genre of protest record….”
– THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY – 5/5“….a landmark CD….extraordinary….”
– THE BIG ISSUE“….if such voices of dissent were allowed to be heard, the world might not be in such a state….”
– THE WIRE MAGAZINE – Best 50 albums of the Year 2002“….amazing….should be issued to every citizen of voting age….”
– MINISTRY OF SOUND MAGAZINE – 10/10“….immaculately produced….needs to be heard….”
– MUZIK MAGAZINE – 5/5“….extraordinary….compelling….overwhelming….”
– RED PEPPER MAGAZINE“….a shattering protest record….”
– UNCUT MAGAZINE – 4/5“….more relevant, more essential now than ever….a masterpiece….”
– BIG ISSUE NORTH 10/10“….as brave as it is powerful….”
– PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY“….extraordinary….nothing short of staggering….”
– THE BIG CHILL“….presenting people with awful facts they’d like to ignore….uniquely effective….”
– TIME OUT NEW YORK“….stunningly coherent and compelling…..should be owned by anyone who even remotely doubts the motives behind the war against Iraq….”
– VUE MAGAZINE“….astonishing…..a brilliant intervention in the propaganda war….”
– THE SCOTSMAN“….unusual and disturbing….sound in every sense….”
– THE OBSERVER“….emotional, shocking and eye opening….”
– Q MAGAZINE – 4/5“….takes your breath away….one of the strongest and most consistent statements
yet to come out of the current anti-war movement….”
– CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION
CROPPIES
CROPPIES was my first long-form documentary, and gave voice to both sides of the debate about the true nature of that most quintessential of English summer memes: Crop Circles.
Were they the random expressions of bored farmers, the temporary art forms of paranormal afficianados, or messages from extra-terrestrial beings? Or some bizarre combination of all three…?
Featuring the first ever in-depth interviews with human circle makers, CROPPIES is an affectionate, balanced and revealing sociological portrait of a time and a story that captured the imagination of millions.
Original music by NEGATIVLAND, GLOBAL GOON, HEAD AND LEG and SEMINALE.
Broadcast in 1999 by Channel 4 UK, Carlton UK, and WGBH US.
Running 53 mins, shot on DV in 4:3 aspect, and lacking in technical prowess by today’s standards (to put it mildly!) it’s still a lot of fun, an accurate record of those heady times, and snappily edited by Emmy award winner Jason Porthouse.
You can see it below….
“Consisting primarily of craftily edited interviews with the movers and rakers on all sides of the circle equation, CROPPIES is a sympathetic, engaging and often hilarious portrait of their insular world. As a visual document of the crop circle circus, CROPPIES is unbeatable.”
– FORTEAN TIMES MAGAZINE“A well crafted and entertaining documentary, and an essential piece of crop circle history.
This film charts territory that other films haven’t even got near; highly recommended.”
– THE CEREOLOGIST MAGAZINE“A fair reflection of the many characters who inhabit the cereological world,
nattily and amusingly edited.”
– SUSSEX CIRCULAR MAGAZINE“CROPPIES is a humourously revealing look at the foibles and delights of the crop circle research community, both believers and sceptics. It provides an entertaining insight into their lives and will appeal to anyone regardless of their belief orientation.”
– BRIGHTON FRINGE FESTIVAL PROMOTION“It does have a quasi-mystical and religious undertone that makes it
unsuitable for peak-time viewing.”
– CHANNEL 5 UK – REJECTION LETTER