Into Film Clubs
Find out everything you need to know about starting an Into Film Club.
We are delighted to reveal our latest Film of the Month winner Lyonesse - The Echo and the Call. Made by visionary filmmaker Benjamin, from Cornwall, this is a powerful tale of one young man's search for the lost city of Lyonesse and a celebration of the Cornish language.
This month's special mention goes to The Street, by filmmakers Gil and Emiline.
A calming, beautiful adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's 'City in the Sea', narrated in Cornish, helping support a cultural resurgence of the language.
Olivia, Film of the Month judge on 'Lyonesse - The Echo and the Call'
We caught up with Benjamin to find out more about his filmmaking journey.
How did you get into filmmaking?
Like many, I have been a fan of film for a long time, however, I only began filmmaking in college with my A level project The Kid- a playful western. I thoroughly enjoyed the process but felt there was much room for improvement, so I spent the summer holidays filming and editing Lyonesse.
I am of course still not happy with the final product, so I want to spend the next 40 years trying to get it right.
Can you tell us about the poem featured in Lyonesse...
Pol Hodge - the Bard of Cornwall - kindly adapted and narrated the poem for me, and I chose "The city in the sea" as I loved its brooding menace and thought that the city in the sea was a similar idea to the Cornish legend of Lyonesse which is also a sunken civilisation.
Why was it important for you to feature Cornish dialogue?
As a Cornish lad, (although I sound like I'm from Hertfordshire) I wanted the film to be distinctly Cornish and having the narration in Cornish felt like the most obvious first step to take alongside the distinctly Cornish Landscape, coastline and chuffs also featured in the film.
Are there other films in Cornish that inspired you?
Admittedly, I have only seen one Cornish film and that was the most famous one of all: Bait. I adored it, loving the sharp social critique and the gorgeous use of 16mm film stock, also admiring the arduous production in which Mark Jenkins developed all the footage by himself.
We loved the folklore atmosphere, could you talk a bit about how you achieved this?
The music was a gift. My sister knew the band - The People's String Foundation - and they kindly allowed me to use it. I spent a long time location hunting and was able to find an abandoned church, hermitage and iron age ruins, all of which helped add to the sense of the ancient and Cornish mythology.
The maps, journals and religious imagery also contributed to both the sense that the main character had been seeking Lyonesse for a long time and that there was an underlying supernatural element - which was enforced with the appearances of the woman in white.
What advice do you have for young filmmakers?
Be prepared to work hard. Steal good ideas from professional filmmakers and then adapt them to your style. And most importantly, have fun.
Benjamin's film will now be showcased to over 300,000 film club members online, and get featured on the Into Film YouTube channel in a playlist along with all the other shortlisted films for this month. They have secured a £100 voucher to help further develop their filmmaking.
Have you got a film you'd love to share? Find out how you can enter our competitions here.
Special Mention: The Street
The Street is a short, sharp, and chilling tale from filmmakers Gil and Emiline. Brilliantly shot and realised, it will keep you on the edge of your seat.
