We Are Northern Lights
20 April 2012
Scotland's First Ever Mass Participation
Documentary Film
The public is invited to collaborate on a
unique feature-length documentary film about Scotland. Northern
Lights is a first in a lifetime mass participation film project
funded by the Year Of Creative Scotland 2012, which aims to create
a view of Scotland that goes beyond media stereotypes to reflect
the lives, hopes and dreams of the people who live - or once lived
- on these isles.
The project opened for submissions on 20th
March and people of all backgrounds and ages, across all areas of
Scotland and the diaspora, are invited to respond, with filmed
contributions to three questions:
·
What can you see?
·
What do you wish you had seen?
·
What would you like to see?
The producers intend for many
first-timers, as well as more experienced filmmakers, to engage
with the project, and the website offers resources to help new
participants plan and shoot their footage. There will also be
numerous workshops taking place across Scotland to specifically
support groups considered to be less likely or unable to engage in
media or arts projects of this nature.
Videos can be submitted from 20th March
until 21st June on the Northern Lights website (www.wearenorthernlights.com).
Videos will be featured on the Northern Lights website and
YouTube channel, and will automatically be eligible to win one of
the Northern Lights Awards. Awards totaling £10,000 are on offer to
the most compelling contributions in a range of categories,
including the People's Choice Award for the most popular
contribution to the project.
The film will be directed by award-winning
documentary film-maker Nick Higgins, who hopes to be surprised by
the range of responses to the three questions. He says:
"The idea of inviting people from
across Scotland to pick up a camera, film their Scotland and share
their lives is hugely exciting to me and we've tried to make it as
easy as possible for everyone to get involved. Our aim is to create
a truly original representation of Scotland, taking in everything
from the extraordinary to the everyday."
"For Northern Lights to be achieve
this, we need people from all walks of life to get involved. Each
submission, no matter how modest, will help to build this epic
self-portrait of Scotland in 2012 and we want everyone to be part
of it. This is a film about Scotland, so who better to create its
content than the people of Scotland themselves?"
Visit the website www.wearenorthernlights.com
to submit your video and watch the contributions, and help
support the project by following onTwitter
and Facebook
.
Press contact: Yvonne Bray,
yvonne@wearenorthernlights.com
07789715894